


Choices

by LOTSlover



Series: At Last Series [15]
Category: Legend of the Seeker
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, F/M, Romance, Squee, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-03
Updated: 2014-11-03
Packaged: 2018-01-21 17:16:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 144,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1558046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LOTSlover/pseuds/LOTSlover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt.  Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Shafts of golden sunlight streamed through the window and spilling across the wooden floor, tiny motes of dust seemingly sparkling in the air like pale glitter. The soft meows of a cat outside drifted through the open window, carried on the cool spring breeze.

Cyrus Lang sat back in his chair at his desk with a weary sigh, his tired eyes wandering to the nearby window beside him. A soft smile graced his lips, deepening the fine lines around his mouth as he watched some children play.

His smile grew as his little granddaughter Lysria giggled in delight as she ran after the ball, her little legs taking her as fast as she could possibly go. Her golden curls shone like the sun itself above her, bouncing on her shoulders as she ran. Even from here, Cyrus could see the way her clear blue eyes sparkled brightly in delight.

He couldn’t stop the chuckle that rose to his lips as he watched her take on two boys both bigger and older than her in the game they were playing, not the least bit intimidated or afraid. It reminded him so much of his beloved daughter.

His laughter swiftly died on his lips, his amusement fading with the reminder of his only child, his precious Elera. Tears quickly formed in his eyes, his heart hardening even further with the bitter hatred and rage that continually consumed him ever since that horrible day.

He slowly stood to his feet, groaning as he paused to rub his arthritic knee. He shuffled over to the window and leaned on the ledge as he continued to watch her. He ground his teeth as he drew a deep breath, basking in his simmering fury, allowing it to flood his veins and fuel his resolve.

His fingers tightened as they curled more firmly around the window ledge, his fingernails digging deep into the worn wood. His nostrils flared as he reviewed his plans in his mind once again, his smile returning to his lips as he waved at his granddaughter who had suddenly noticed him watching her. 

If things continued to proceed as planned, Aydindril would soon be ruled by someone far more capable of leading an empire than a vile Rahl. And if his plans truly succeeded, there would no longer be another living Rahl on the face of the earth.

XXX

Kahlan stared out over the grassy plains, the tall green blades that appeared to wave to and fro with the shifting winds that caused her hair to whip in her face. It seemed to stretch on and on to the very ends of the earth itself, but she knew better. She’d travelled these territories for over two years, following her Seeker in their quest.

It felt good to be out in the open again, away from the daily routines of palace life and the heavy responsibilities that those roles as leaders of an Empire always seemed to carry with it. It was a weighty mantle to carry at times, one that she was thankful to shed for only a few moments.

While she loved her life and the titles bestowed upon her by the good spirits, she loved this part most of all, being back on her horse and seeing the people that she had sworn her life to protect and to care for at all cost.

She closed her eyes, drawing a deep breath and absorbing the fresh clean air, the smell of spring that infused it. She wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging herself as the familiar stirrings of heartache and loneliness quickly reminded her of all that she had left behind her.

The ache in her chest had become a permanent companion even before she’d packed up some of her things as well as her children and left the People’s Palace for her homeland. The fact that her father, Mistress Rachel and Katrina had come along with her hadn’t helped ease the ache very much, but it did provide a measure of security knowing they were there to help her with the children.

Five days. That was how long ago it had been since she’d left her husband and the friends that she considered her family behind. Each day that passed by made it feel like an eternity. 

The thought of them felt like a deadly blade of a dagger twisting even deeper into her chest as she allowed her sad gaze to wander over the distant horizon, wishing that she would see Richard riding towards them on the black stallion that she had given him as a wedding present well over a year ago.

If she closed her eyes, she could practically see him riding towards her, so very handsome and noble. She could picture the hilt of the Sword of Truth resting in its scabbard glinting brightly in the afternoon sunlight. She would see that smile that she loved on his lips, his eyes gleaming brightly as he drew near.

But she knew he wasn’t coming. Not this time.

For the last five days she’d been watching, waiting and secretly hoping that he would let go of his anger with her as well as his stubborn pride. And every day since she’d left, she’d seen nothing but shrinking mountains and growing plains as they began to leave D’Hara behind.

A tangled knot of emotions sat like a jagged rock in the pit of her stomach, leaving her to wonder as to the true state of her marriage to Richard; if he’d ever be able to forgive her, to look her in the eyes again…to still love her.

She did not for one moment regret going after him, risking her life to save to him. While heartbroken over the loss of their baby, she knew in her heart that she had done what was right, what was necessary. Richard was destined for great things, prophesied to stop the villainous ruin that continually attempted to creep up into the world.

While he didn’t believe it or hold to prophecy, it didn’t make it any less true or his continued rule as the Lord Rahl of the D’Haran Empire any less necessary.

Kahlan momentarily closed her eyes fighting back the tears that formed behind them, threatening to overwhelm her. She just prayed that he would come to see that, would come to know that it had been her deep love for him that had sent her after him and it was love that was taking her away from him now.

She knew that he needed time to think, time away from her to come to terms with all the horrible tragedies that had come to pass over the last several months, blind-siding them and shaking them to their core. He had lost a little boy that he’d had no knowledge of his existence, turning his very world upside down. 

On top of that, their twin daughters had been kidnapped, the courtyard destroyed and lives lost. He’d been kidnapped and tortured by Sangria only to watch her lose their unborn child that he had made with her only to return home to find a man that she’d been betrothed to there waiting for them, wanting her to return to Aydindril with him.

He wouldn’t even let her explain, would barely even look at her. That was what almost hurt the worst. The way he could barely even make eye contact with her as if she no longer held the same place in his heart that she once did, as if he was repulsed by her very presence in his life.

That wasn’t something she couldn’t live with.

Feeling a gentle tug on the hem of her skirt, Kahlan looked down to see Paige standing next to her, her sweet angelic face gazing up at her. She immediately leaned over and picked her up, taking her daughter into her arms.

“Dada,” Paige whimpered as she wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck. “Dada.”

Kahlan’s eyes fell closed as her anguish rose in her throat causing her to tighten her hold on her toddler. “I know, my little Princess,” she softly replied, pressing her lips against her cheek. “I miss him very much too.”

She held her daughter, determined to keep the persistent tears from reaching her eyes. She needed to present a strong impression, hold her heart together for her children as well as for Aydindril. They all needed her to be strong right now more than ever.

Mistress Rachel stood several feet away from her, her arms crossed as she watched the Mother Confessor with growing concern. She was beyond furious with Lord Rahl for letting her leave like this, but even more so for not coming after her.

This was his family, his very life that he was allowing to slip right through his fingers and if he wasn’t careful it would be forever. She knew…understood just how deeply Richard and Kahlan’s love truly ran, how they would sacrifice everything just to save the other.

Somehow, for some unknown reason she didn’t understand, the pain ran too deep, the guilt too wide for love to conquer this time.

Rachel couldn’t possibly imagine what could’ve happened to tear them apart like this, what could keep Lord Rahl from coming after his wife and children. All she knew was that Kahlan went to Caprice to rescue him and the next she knew, Kahlan’s leaving with Prince Tristan Kabay for Aydindril a brokenhearted mess.

Kahlan tried her best to hide it, but Rachel could see the pain that cut like a violent rift right through her heart, could feel the intense aching void in her that the separation from Lord Rahl had created. She hoped that Richard was just as miserable as Kahlan was if not more so. It would serve him right.

Rachel instantly tensed as she felt someone approaching from behind. She didn’t have to turn around to know that it was Tristan Kabay. As much as she wanted to dislike the man, she found her opinion of him slowly changing every day that passed.

He seemed to have a genuine concern and affection for Kahlan that she hoped was sincere for his sake. If he had anything to do with the trouble in Kahlan’s marriage, he would find out the hard way how an agile actually worked.

“What is she doing?” Tristan softly asked as he came to stand beside the Mord’Sith.

“Searching for Lord Rahl, hoping that he is coming,” Rachel replied, her scowl deepening with her anger.

“I fear she is just getting her hopes up,” he admitted.

“I fear the moment when she stops looking for him,” Rachel confessed.

Tristan drew a deep breath, sadly shaking his head. “I can’t help but feel that some of this is my fault.”

“Why?” Rachel asked, turning to face him. “What did you do?”

“Practically begged Kahlan to come to Aydindril with me,” he admitted, his blue eyes focused on his former betrothed. “I went about this all wrong. I should’ve started out by meeting with Lord Rahl instead, but I thought it would be easier talking to Kahlan since we basically grew up together and she knows Aydindril so well.”

“Lord Rahl wasn’t here for you to even talk to,” Rachel pointed out. “Besides, you said there was unrest brewing in Aydindril. That is not something that can be ignored for too long.”

“I know,” he agreed. “I just hope that we make it back before something terrible happens.”

Before she could respond, Tristan made his way to where Kahlan was standing, his hands in his pockets. Rachel watched as he came to a stop beside the Mother Confessor, his arm moving to her shoulders in silent comfort.

She was going to have to keep an eye on him, make sure that he didn’t take this opportunity to further break apart Richard and Kahlan’s marriage. So far, he’d proven himself admirable, keeping a respectful distance from Kahlan and doing nothing that would spark any rumors, but she wanted to make sure it stayed that way.

Feeling an arm around her, Kahlan looked up into Tristan’s mesmerizing blue eyes, the concern she found swimming there creating a wave of guilt that suddenly rose up within her. She knew everyone was growing more and more worried about her with every passing day.

“I’m sorry, Kahlan,” he said, rubbing her arm. “I know that you hoped that Richard would follow us.”

“It’s foolish of me,” she replied, adjusting her hold on Paige who had fallen asleep in her arms against her chest. “We both have duties to attend to. I can’t expect him to just drop everything to follow after me.”

Tristan’s chest clenched painfully with her words. He knew she and Richard were deeply in love, but the knowledge of it didn’t make his heart hurt any less. He would forever love Kahlan no matter what direction life took them.

“It’s not foolish, Kahlan,” he told her. “Love is never foolish.”

“Thank you, Tristan,” she said, forcing a smile that never quite reached her blue eyes that still swam with so much pain. “I’m afraid that I may have hurt Richard far more than he is able to forgive this time.”

“What happened?” he prompted her, tentativeness coloring his voice. “I don’t mean to pry into your life, but you’ve barely eaten or spoken since we left the People’s Palace. I’m worried about you, Kahlan.”

She released a weary sigh, knowing her friend deserved an explanation. “I…I was carrying Richard’s child when I went to Caprice to rescue him,” she admitted. “I…lost our baby and Richard blames me for it now.”

The unexpected news hit him hard as if he’d been punched in the gut. “Kahlan, I’m so very sorry.”

“Thank you, but I knew the risk and I took it anyway,” she sadly said, tears suddenly burning unbidden in her eyes over the little life that she and Richard had made, the life that she had lost. “Sangria demanded that I alone come for Richard or she would kill him. I couldn’t let that happen to him so I went despite everyone telling me not to. I had to, Tristan. There was no other way.”

“It’s not your fault,” he insisted, tightening his hold around her shoulders. “You were put in a terrible position, a decision that you never should’ve been forced to make.”

“I wish that Richard could see it that way,” she softly replied. “Unfortunately, he’s furious first for risking my life for him and second for putting our unborn child at risk. And that’s on top of everything else that he’s already had to deal with recently.”

“So he’d rather have had Sangria just kill him, force you to go on without your husband and your children without a father, the D’Haran Empire without their leader?”

“Yes,” she nodded her head, fingertips reaching up to brush away unwanted tears of hurt, tears of loss. “I couldn’t live with that, knowing that there was something that I could’ve done to save him and not do it. I’m afraid it’s been a point of volatile contention between us ever since I met him. He’s allowed to risk death for me, but I’m not allowed to do the same for him.”

“I’m so sorry,” he murmured again, his heart breaking for her. “I’m sure my appearance certainly didn’t help things, did it?”

“No, but it wouldn’t have changed things between Richard and me,” Kahlan shook her head, thoughtfully hooking a raven lock of hair behind her ear. “Besides, I can’t just sit back and do nothing if Aydindril is truly in trouble. It’s my home no matter where I am.”

“Doesn’t Richard believe me that he’s in danger of a violent revolt threatening the D’Haran Empire, threatening him?”

“Yes, but he feels an army should’ve been sent instead of me going to try to handle it myself,” she admitted. “I think he feels that I need to trust Edmond to handle this yet unconfirmed threat to Aydindril.”

“I really think you being there could go a long way in helping to stifle any stirrings of an uprising,” Tristan pursed his lips, letting his arm finally fall from Kahlan’s shoulder as he considered her words. “Thank you for coming with me, Kahlan. I know how much more difficult I’ve made it now for you to work things out with Richard, but I’m positive your presence could make an immense difference.”

“My marriage isn’t over yet,” she said with a sudden feisty determination that brought a smile of remembrance to Tristan’s lips. “I will allow him to wallow in his anger and self-pity for only so long before I’ll step in and force him to see that he can’t expect me to just sit back and do nothing when his life is threatened. Our love goes both ways. We are a team, leaning and depending on one another.”

“That’s the Kahlan I remember,” he smiled with great pride. “You never did let anyone get away with anything before stepping in and knocking some heads together.”

Kahlan found herself laughing with his response despite the intense ache that gripped her heart. “You make me sound like such a tyrant.”

“Not in the least,” he smirked at her with admiration, his blue eyes gleaming brightly. “You’re just not someone that I would want to anger or tangle with.”

“That’s only because you learned that the hard way,” she smiled in return, gently patting Paige’s back as she held her.

Tristan visibly grimaced with the reminder of a time long ago and yet seemed just like yesterday in some ways. “Don’t remind me, Kahlan Amnell,” he groaned in protest. “It was not one of my finer moments.”

“Being taken down by a girl in a sword fight is nothing to be ashamed of, Tristan,” she teased, her eyes sparkling now with amusement. “Besides, you hadn’t hit your growth spurt yet. I had almost three inches on you at the time.”

“Thank you for pointing that out,” he frowned in feigned annoyance. “It wasn’t too long after that I finally began to grow and never looked back.”

“Now look at you,” she grinned. “You’re a good foot taller than me.”

“I bet I could easily take you in another sword fight,” he challenged her.

Kahlan shook her head in amusement. “You’re on, Kabay,” she shot back with equal determination. “You want to try to take down a poor defenseless mother of three then be my guest.”

It was Tristan’s turn to chuckle at Kahlan’s response. “You are anything but defenseless, Mother Confessor,” he laughed, crossing his arms against his chest. “You will find that I’ve become quite competent in my fighting skills since my early days.”

“Then you have yourself a fight,” she promised him. “It’ll be fun to challenge you again. How many hours did we spend out there practicing in the hot sun?”

“More than I care to remember,” he shook his head. “I thought my father was relentless, but Edmund was even worse. How I got wrangled into being your sparring partner is still lost on me.”

“I have no idea either,” she groaned as they turned to head back to their party. “It’ll be so good to see Edmund again. It’s been far too long. I hope that nothing is wrong with him. It would hurt me deeply to find him ailing or be forced to remove him from leadership.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that either,” he nodded his head in agreement.

Kahlan looked from Tristan to find her father waiting by the carriage with Priya in his arms and Katrina holding a sleeping Aiden. Nearing them, it warmed her heart to see her father with her children and yet she couldn’t help the fierce longing for Richard that forever simmered in her soul, renewing the ache inside of her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 2

Cara huffed, hooking her hair beyond her ear and cursing under her breath as she slammed another drawer closed. She stomped around the expansive bedroom, her green-eyed gaze throwing daggers at anything and everything in her path.

She made her way to a pile of clothes still lying on the bed that needed to be folded, throwing them left and right and letting them fly, landing wherever they may. So engrossed in her rampage, she didn’t even notice the tall handsome man leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed watching her with great amusement.

Clothes lay scattered everywhere on their bed as well as the floor by the time the angry Mord’Sith was done. He continued to study her as she suddenly dropped to all fours on the floor, looking beneath their large bed.

“Cara,” he called to her.

Her name fell on deaf ears as she continued to search, a frustrated growl abruptly filling the air as she got to her feet and began ripping the covers off of the bed, oblivious to her husband’s presence in the room with her.

“Cara!” he called a little more sharply, causing her to suddenly stop just as a pillow sailed through the air, landing harmlessly at Garren’s feet.

“What?” she nearly yelled, somewhat chagrinned to have been caught in the middle of her tirade through their bedroom.

“What are you doing?” Garren asked as he leaned over and picked up the fallen pillow.

“I can’t find Caiden’s blanket anywhere,” Cara huffed; her scowl deepening as she surveyed the mess that she had just created. It only added to her building anger.

Garren bit back a smile at his wife’s obvious annoyance as he walked over to the foot of the bed and pulled out a blue blanket from under one of his shirts. He calmly held it out to her, his smile breaking through as she snatched it out of his hand with a look that could’ve melted ice.

She marched past him with the blanket in hand to fetch her son who was crying in the other room. Picking him up, she carried a crying Caiden back into the bedroom, wrapping his favorite blanket around his little body.

Garren immediately went to her, taking his son into his arms. “Hey there, little man,” he cooed. “What’s the matter?”

Caiden quickly snuggled deeper into his father’s protective hold on him, sniffling and whimpering softly. Garren leaned down, pressing his lips to his son’s forehead as he patted his back. He turned his attention back to his irritated wife who was beginning to pick up all the clothes off of the floor.

“Cara, what’s wrong?” he finally asked.

“Nothing,” she frowned as she continued to put the clothes back on the bed, avoiding meeting his intense gaze. “I just couldn’t find Caiden’s favorite blanket.”

“Cara, I know you better than that,” he pressed, making his way to her. “Talk to me.”

Cara ground her teeth as she fought to contain the ire and frustration inside, knowing deep down that Garren wasn’t the source of her anger and didn’t deserve having it unleashed upon him. “I’m just furious with Richard for being such a…”

“Careful, not in front of the baby,” he admonished her with a smirk.

“How could he just let Kahlan walk away like that?” she yelled. “They’ve been gone for nearly five days and he acts like nothing even happened. He should’ve gone after his family, not stay here and act like everything is just fine.”

“I agree, but he’s hiding his feelings behind his duty,” he replied. “This is eating him alive.”

“What do you mean?” she frowned as she finally looked at him. “Did he say something to you?”

“No,” he shook his head. “He’s not really talking to anyone right now, but I can see it in his eyes. He’s dying a little more every day that passes.”

“All I see is anger in his eyes,” she huffed as she began folding the clothes, a scowl firmly on her lips. “He’s definitely not himself, but he won’t listen to anyone let alone talk. Stubborn mule.”

“I think this time apart will actually do them some good, allow them both time to heal from everything that has happened to them,” he explained. “They just survived a horrible tragedy, one that I can’t even begin to imagine having to go through. It’s going to take some time for them to move past this.”

“I still think he is wrong for not going after Kahlan,” she spat out. “I would’ve thought by now that he’d have figured out he was wrong and be heading to Aydindril at this moment.”

“I think given time, Richard will see how wrong he has been acting,” Garren thoughtfully replied. “Right now, though, he’s hurting too much to see much of anything else. All he can see is the pain.”

“Well, he better get his head on straight before he loses everything if he hasn’t already,” Cara stated.

“Richard and Kahlan love each other too much to be able to live without one another,” he insisted as he patted Caiden’s back. “I’m sure they’ll eventually be able to work through all of this.”

“Well, they can’t very well work through it with Richard here at the People’s Palace and Kahlan in Aydindril,” Cara replied, turning towards him and pointing a finger at him. “And I don’t trust that Prince Tristan either. He’s up to something. I just don’t know what it is.”

“I’m worried that he’s after Kahlan,” Garren reluctantly admitted.

“I should have gone with her,” Cara groused as she began pacing, suddenly forgetting the laundry. “I can’t believe I let her go alone with that home wrecker.”

Garren stepped in front of his wife to stop her pacing, wanting to get her full attention. “Now wait a moment,” he cautioned her. “First of all, Kahlan’s far from alone. Rachel, Katrina, Frederick, and a dozen soldiers of the First File are with her. 

“Second of all, Richard and Kahlan’s marital problems aren’t exactly Tristan’s fault. It’s a combination of events and circumstances that were brewing before Tristan even showed up here in D’Hara.”

“Well, Tristan showing up in D’Hara certainly hasn’t helped any,” Cara sourly replied, folding her arms against her chest. “Richard was none too pleased to find out about him.”

“No, Tristan’s sudden appearance didn’t help at all,” he agreed. “He didn’t pick the best time to suddenly show up, but if Aydindril is truly in trouble then he didn’t exactly have much of a choice.”

“I thought you didn’t like Tristan Kabay and yet here you are defending him to me.”

“No, I don’t like him nor do I trust him, but at the same time I’m not going to place the blame for everything that’s happened on him especially without knowing more about what is really going on.”

Cara released an angry breath as she leaned forward in exasperation, pressing her forehead against his muscular chest. He tilted down, kissing the top of her head as an arm snaked its way around her petite waist.

“I’m really scared, Garren,” she softly confessed. “I’ve never seen things this bad between them before. It…it’s unsettling.”

“I know what you mean,” he murmured, tightening his hold on his wife as he held his now sleeping son. “Their love seems so indestructible, an absolute constant that can’t ever break or falter, but even they are not immune to the same problems that can befall every marriage.”

Cara sighed heavily before finally tilting her head back to look up at her handsome husband’s face. “I know, but it doesn’t make it any easier being forced to sit back and watch it all fall apart, knowing your closest friends are making the wrong choices and there is nothing we can do about it.”

“I have a good feeling that Richard will come to his senses and do whatever it takes to fix everything with Kahlan. Besides, we’re not completely helpless. We may need to step in soon and see what we can do to push things along.”

“Richard better do it soon or I’ll remind him what an agiel feels like all the way back to Aydindril.”

“Hmmm…I love your feistiness,” he muttered with a grin, leaning in and kissing her. “You know you can do whatever you feel you need to do to me any time you want.”

Cara chuckled softly against his lips, her hand sliding up into his black wavy hair. “Oh you think so, do you?” she breathed against his mouth. “Didn’t we do that last night?”

It was Garren’s turn to laugh as she seductively kissed the stubble along his jaw. “I’m not sure,” he murmured. “Maybe you had better remind me again just in case I’ve forgotten some details.”

“Don’t you have afternoon patrol to attend to?” she asked, her fingers already working to remove his shirt from his breeches.

“Holland took the afternoon shift for me,” he grinned, pleased by the lustful look that flashed across his wife’s beautiful face with the news. “He thought I should spend some much needed time with my wife and son.”

“Remind me to thank Holland later,” she practically purred, an almost predatory darkness flooding her green eyes as she ran her hands up under his shirt and over his chiseled chest. It sent a shiver of sweet anticipation up the Commander’s spine.

“Don’t move,” he ordered her, moving quickly to take his sleeping son back to his room.

He softly closed the door behind him before swiftly capturing his wife in his arms and throwing her down onto the bed causing her to cry out in surprise. Cara immediately sat up, meeting her husband half way as he began to settle over her, bending her knees for him.

Right now, she was going to shove aside her worry for her friends and worry about meeting her and her husband’s needs. If Richard didn’t do something soon, though, she was going to drag him all the way to Aydindril herself if she had to.

XXX

Richard sat at his desk reviewing the latest reports that Holland had dropped by his office before starting the afternoon patrol of the People’s Palace. He forced himself to reread the first sentence for at least the fifth time before he finally gave up and laid the paper down.

He sank back in his chair, rubbing his eyes that burned from lack of sleep, releasing a frustrated sigh. He turned to gaze out the nearby window that overlooked the gardens, wishing more than anything that he’d see Kahlan out there playing with their children like she had done many times in the past.

His heart constricted so painfully in his chest that he could barely suppress the gasping sob that attempted to escape his throat, nearly strangling him. He swallowed it down, refusing to give it voice as he allowed his anger and hurt to once again replace the loneliness that had become a part of him since Kahlan had left with their children five days ago.

It felt like a year since he’d last seen them, since he’d played with his girls or held his son in his arms. It felt like a lifetime or more since he’d been able to taste Kahlan’s lips or feel the sensual press of her soft skin against his. He ached to lose himself in her sapphire blue eyes or see that smile she saved for no one else but him.

But she had made her choice, deciding to go to Aydindril with Prince Tristan and leaving him behind. Just thinking of that man near his wife turned his blood to liquid fire in his veins, igniting his jealousy and fueling his anger like nothing he’d ever felt before.

Why hadn’t she told him that she had been engaged to be married before she’d left to search for him in Westland? Did she still have feelings for this man, wishing that she’d chosen to marry Tristan when she’d returned to Aydindril instead of marrying him?

His mind wouldn’t let it go, refused to give him a moment of respite from the agonizing pain that consumed him, the questions that continued to crash over him. Sleep was restless, filled with dreams of Kahlan being seduced by Tristan or nightmares filled with Sangria torturing Kahlan and stealing the little life inside of her that they had made together.

Richard suddenly drew a shuddering breath, feeling ill to his core as he remembered the blood that had pooled at Kahlan’s feet in that horrifying moment, their precious baby lost to them forever because Kahlan had chosen to come after him.

His fury flared hotly again from deep in his soul, his rage washing through him like hot lava causing his insides to tremble. Kahlan never should have come after him, risking her life or the life of their unborn child. It had been far too dangerous, the risk too great and the price too high.

It was horrible enough to have lost their baby, but to come so close to losing Kahlan as well would have been more than he could’ve possibly begun to accept. How did she expect him to be able to live without her if something happened to her, raise their children without her? He wasn’t worth losing her or their baby over.

Kahlan was irreplaceable to him.

A sudden knock at his door pulled him from his tormented thoughts. He turned his dark stormy gaze from the window to the tall lanky figure filling the doorway. He didn’t bother waiting to be invited in, instead making his way to Richard’s desk and sitting down in the chair across from the Lord Rahl.

“How are you holding up, my boy?” Zedd asked, knowing the answer before his grandson even spoke. It was written all over his face and brewing darkly in his eyes.

“I’m fine,” his clipped response filled the air as he cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter in his chair, trying to force himself to focus on his work once more.

Zedd studied him for a long moment, the wrinkles on his face deepening with his frown. “Richard, you and I both know that is far from the truth,” he replied, his voice firm, the patience and understanding he’d shown for the last five days since Kahlan left with his great grandchildren gone now as well.

“Zedd, I don’t want to talk about it,” Richard angrily snapped, leveling his beloved grandfather with a heated glare that would’ve silenced most, sending them cowering away to the shadows, but Zedd refused to budge. Not this time.

“You’re going to talk about it whether you like it or not,” Zedd yelled at him. “I’ve allowed you to wallow in your self-pity and brooding anger for five days now, but it’s time to get over your foolish pride and do something about this mess that you’ve helped create.”

Richard suddenly leapt to his feet, his fury nearly exploding with his grandfather’s words. “Me?” he hissed, his chest beginning to heave with the extent of the emotions storming inside of him and threatening to tear him apart. “I am not the one who put our unborn child’s life at risk. I am not the one who hid a prior engagement to someone else. I am not the one who decided to leave with our children, choosing to go back to Aydindril with someone other than me.

“I didn’t leave her behind, Zedd! Kahlan left me behind and I’m not about go after her or try to force her to change her mind! She obviously chose Tristan over me!”

Zedd put his hands on his knees, pushing himself up onto his feet again. “Well, you’re wrong on almost every single point, but at least we’re finally getting somewhere. This is the most emotion I’ve seen in you since Kahlan left. Now, maybe we can finally get somewhere with all of this.”

Richard stared at him for several long moments, his nostrils flaring as he fought to regain some semblance of control once more but it was beyond difficult. His head was hammering relentlessly, had been since the day Kahlan walked out of his life with his children, matching the fierce pounding ache in his heart.

He finally turned his back to his grandfather, moving to stand before the window instead. “I’m not in the mood to talk about this, Zedd,” he bit out, crossing his arms over his chest, his jaw clenched almost painfully with the anger teeming inside of him.

There was a part of him that wanted to race out of here and chase Kahlan down, to grab hold of her and tell her never to leave him ever again, but he couldn’t do that. She had made her choice, leaving for Aydindril with Tristan and leaving him behind.

The ramifications of that choice stole his breath and nearly buckled his knees. His life was truly over in every way imaginable.

“Richard, I know you’re hurting, but you have to remember that Kahlan is hurting too,” Zedd continued despite his grandson’s refusal to talk. He wasn’t about to let this go no matter how furious Richard became with him. “She was put in a horrible position, having to choose between her husband and her unborn baby as well as her own life. You have no idea how deeply that decision hurt her and yet she knew she couldn’t let you die, not when she could do something to save you.”

“Yes, she’s so hurt she took my children and left for Aydindril with another man,” he fumed, his hands curling into tight fists of jealous rage. “Kahlan left me, Zedd.”

“Is that what you really think?” Zedd demanded to know, his own anger building with Richard’s brooding. He was allowing his emotions to cloud his thinking, causing him to lose his focus…lose himself. “She didn’t leave you for another man. Kahlan went with Tristan to take care of trouble in Aydindril.”

“Trouble that Commander Holland could’ve handled on his own,” the Seeker shot back, accusation filling his voice. 

Zedd came to stand behind him, crossing his bony arms against his chest. “You don’t know that, Richard. Prince Tristan came all this way to speak personally to Kahlan about the trouble brewing there, worried about Edmund. He wouldn’t have come all that way if it hadn’t been serious.”

“Or he just wants Kahlan for himself,” he bit out with venom. “Why didn’t she tell me about her engagement to Tristan?”

“Because it meant nothing to her,” Zedd replied. “You are the one she loves, Richard, the one that she married and had children with. You are the one that she chose. She loves you more than her own life. You know that in your heart.”

“And yet I’m the one that she left behind,” he fumed. “The moment Tristan shows up she runs off to Aydindril, no questions asked.”

“Are you finished pouting like a petulant little child or are you ready to act like an adult, Richard?” Zedd yelled at him. “Yes, you have been through more anguish and torment than anyone can possibly imagine. 

“You lost a son you didn’t even know existed, your twins were kidnapped, your family targeted by seers. You were captured and tortured and forced to watch her do the same to your wife while she lost your unborn baby. 

“You came home to find a man who was once in love with your wife waiting to escort her back to Aydindril in order to save it. You’ve had your world turned upside down, inside out, and nearly destroyed. No one could possibly blame you for losing your direction, but it’s time to get your head back on straight and figure out how you’re going to fix your life as well as your marriage.

“Kahlan is hurting no less than you. You pushed her away for weeks after Michael’s death. She was forced to make an impossible decision, causing you both the life of your baby because of her choice. She chose you, Richard, because she loves you, didn’t want to go on in life without you or your children without their father.

“You can’t tell me that you wouldn’t have done the exact same thing for her if the tables had been turned.”

Richard bristled with every word that came from his grandfather’s mouth, each syllable cutting deeper and deeper as Zedd painfully peeled back each layer of hurt and anguish that had damaged his heart. His back was ram-rod straight, a sneer twisting his lips.

He could barely breathe, tears suddenly stinging his eyes but he refused to allow them to fall. His heart was pounding so hard as he stared out into the empty garden, a ball left behind by his girls resting forgotten beneath the stone bench Kahlan always loved to sit on.

Zedd studied him for a long moment, knowing his words were finally getting through to him. “Think about it,” he said before turning to leave his grandson alone again, pausing at the door to look back at him. “You are a good man, Richard. You alone have the ability to get back what you think you’ve lost, but you need to be brave enough to take that next step.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 3

Richard made his way to his quarters, his legs heavy with exhaustion and his dark eyes set straight ahead of him. He barely acknowledged the greetings from those on the night shift patrolling the Palace or the staff hard at work cleaning and preparing everything for the following day.

His mind was still swimming with all the things that Zedd had said to him earlier this afternoon, his heart still in a vice-grip that made it more than difficult to draw a breath. He clenched his fists as he drew nearer to his suite…the quarters he shared with Kahlan or at least used to.

Except that she was no longer here, his children gone with her.

If he knew for certain she was coming back to him, if things weren’t so messed up, he might…might…be able to survive their absence. With the way things had been left, though, he could barely put one foot in front of the other let alone think straight.

His throat tightened painfully with the thought as he opened the door, attempting to draw a breath that always seemed to refuse to come before entering. He’d been avoiding returning here each day until he absolutely had to since Kahlan had left, leaving his suite before the sun rose and not returning until long after it had set.

It hurt too much to be in here, the memories too vivid, too overwhelming…the loss far too real.

Richard closed the door behind him, the immediate silence that surrounded him unnerving as he stood still as a statue, willing himself to remain in complete control. His eyes fell closed as he breathed deeply; inhaling Kahlan’s scent that still lingered in their quarters and in his heart.

He swore he could hear her singing softly as she rocked Aiden to sleep, could hear the giggles and squeals of delight of his twin little girls. He thought for sure he could feel the soft whisper of Kahlan’s breath pulsating against his face as she always paused for just a brief flicker of time before finally kissing him.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t real. None of it was real. Kahlan was not here and neither were his children, the very people who were the center of his world. They were gone and he had done absolutely nothing to try to stop her from leaving him.

Opening his eyes, Richard slowly made his way towards his bedchambers, the need for sleep driving him on despite the heaviness in his legs and in his heart. He unbuckled his sword from his waist, tossing it into a nearby chair before making his way to his son’s room.

He stood in the doorway leaning against the doorframe, studying the empty room sitting so silently before him. The smell of baby powder still permeated the air, some of Aiden’s things having been left behind waiting for his eventual return…if they ever came back to him.

He walked over to the bassinet, picking up one of Aiden’s blankets that had been left behind. He lifted it to his face, inhaling deeply and smiling softly to himself with the familiar scent of his son. There was just something so special and unique about a baby’s smell. It was one that he had come to love ever since the birth of his daughters.

He sat down in the rocking chair in the corner, the one he had made especially for Kahlan when she had been carrying their twins. He held the blanket in his lap, his fingers absentmindedly caressing the soft material as he felt himself being sucked even deeper into the cyclone of his tormented thoughts. 

By the time he would be able to see Aiden again, he wouldn’t be a little baby any more. He’d probably be close to a year old, walking and beginning to talk and not even knowing who his father was…just like Michael had been.

The thought caused a stray tear to suddenly break free from his eyes. He bitterly wiped it away before setting the blanket down and moving onto Paige and Priya’s room, needing to see something of theirs even if he couldn’t actually hold his little girls. 

A sad smile slowly broke across his face as he remembered all the laughter that always filled this room, the games and the bedtime stories, comforting the fearful tears from bad nightmares as well as the kisses and ‘I love you’ wishes. 

He slowly walked over to their beds, gently running his fingers over the coverlet. Paige and Priya were both so much like their mother, reminding him of her more and more every day as they grew, their respective personalities showing themselves. 

He loved how his children were so much like Kahlan, adored seeing her in their sweet little expressions, in their contagious giggles and in their mischievousness, although Kahlan swore up and down the last one was entirely their father.

He chuckled softly despite himself, remembering so well that night. He had been holding Kahlan close against him after having just made love, their bodies covered in a thin sheen of sweat and limbs a tangled mess of love and lust for one another. They had been lying in bed, talking about their children when he had pointed out how mischievous their girls were.

Kahlan had adamantly denied that they had gotten it from her, certain that it could have only come from Richard. The debate had turned into a tickling war between them that had ended rather heatedly with another round of passionate love making.

Turning with the memory still so vivid in his mind, Richard scrubbed his face with his hands in frustration, doing his best to keep the tears at bay as he made his way towards the empty bed waiting for him. 

He sat down on the edge of it, releasing a ragged breath as he bent over and began removing his boots. He sat there for a long moment, his gaze wandering around the bedchamber that he shared with Kahlan, recounting all the love that they had made, the passionate kisses exchanged, the whispered dreams of a future together shared.

He didn’t even bother removing the rest of his clothes, choosing rather to just crawl under the covers and welcome the exhaustion that tugged so heavily on his senses. Although he dreaded closing his eyes knowing that nightmares would only come, he couldn’t help but begin to succumb to sleep’s firm pull.

He reached over to the other side of the bed, his fingers slowly running over the cool sheets that greeted him, the emptiness he found matching the hollow ache in his chest. He grabbed hold of Kahlan’s pillow, wrapping his arms around it and clutching it against his body as if it was his only link to her. He pressed his face into it, absorbing her scent as thoughts of her constantly stormed through his mind. 

He wondered where she was at that moment, what she was doing. Was she even thinking about him? Wondering how he was or she too preoccupied with Tristan to even bother thinking of him?

Despite how angry and hurt he was with her for coming to Caprice to save him, Richard knew he could never deny the love for her that would always consume him or reject what beat in his heart for her. She had captured it the moment he had discovered her running through his woods that fateful day, had found his life that day. He had been finally made complete.

“I love you, Kahlan,” he murmured as the tears began to escape unbidden, disappearing into her pillow.

He was going to have to find a way to come to terms with everything that had happened to him…to them…if he ever wanted to get her back. He couldn’t live without her and yet he couldn’t help the fierce pain that spiked through him knowing that she had left for Aydindril with Tristan after having just lost their baby.

Why couldn’t she have stayed for just a few more days, given him some time to process all that had happened to them so that he could fix things between them? Why couldn’t she have let him send Commander Holland to Aydindril to gather more information instead of racing into the situation without having any valid knowledge about what was happening there?

He thought about sending a journey book message to Edmund to see what information he might be able to glean from the trouble brewing there. He wanted to make sure that Edmund knew Kahlan was on her way and to make sure he did everything in his power to keep her and his children safe at all cost, but he couldn’t risk it if Edmund was somehow under some sort of magical spell.

Guilt suddenly rose in his throat, knowing that it had been his responsibility to keep his wife and children safe and he had failed them. He should have gone with them, made sure his family was taken care of. Instead, he had left them in the care of another man who was more than likely still in love with his wife.

Richard’s fingers curled, digging deeper into his pillow as the tears fell faster, his insides churning painfully with the guilt and anger raging inside of him. So much had been taken from him over the last several weeks, so much that he couldn’t bear it a moment longer. 

And now, he had lost the most precious thing in this world to him – his Kahlan and his family.

XXX

Kahlan sat all alone on a grassy outcropping that overlooked the expansive plain below. The night was an endless sea of stars, the moon a bright ball shining so bright in the sky and casting an ethereal glow on everything it could reach.

She pulled her knees up close to her chest with a weary sigh, wrapping her arms around her legs as she stared up into the vast expanse overhead. She couldn’t help wondering what Richard was doing at that moment. Was he even thinking of her at all? Cared about her anymore?

She knew that she had hurt him deeply by coming after him, losing their baby the way that she had. And she was more than certain that Tristan’s unexpected presence hadn’t helped matters any. She knew she should’ve told Richard about Tristan long ago, but the engagement had thankfully been broken when the Mother Confessor at the time had sent her to find the Seeker instead.

She didn’t love Tristan, didn’t care for him beyond friendship so the engagement had meant so little to her. In reality, she’d been more than thankful that she’d been sent to find the Seeker instead of being forced to marry a man that she didn’t love.

Then after meeting Richard, she couldn’t think of any other man but him, Tristan all but forgotten. The Seeker had managed to steal her heart soon after meeting him, her desire for him alone even though at the time she had thought they could never be together.

Kahlan closed her eyes as she rested her chin on top of her knees, imagining that he was sitting right next to her under the stars. She swore she could feel his arm wrapping around her shoulders and holding her close, stroking her hair and reassuring her that everything was going to be alright, telling her how much he loved her and would forever as the scruff that lined his jaw tickled her cheek.

She missed him so deeply it hurt to breathe sometimes; competing with the agonizing pain she still bore over losing their baby. They’d never really had a chance to grieve together, hadn’t been allowed the luxury of mourning over the precious life Sangria had so viciously stolen from them. Instead, they’d been left with so much hurt and anger between them, regrets and words left unspoken.

She felt tears instantly well in her eyes before quickly spilling down her cheeks, unable to hold them in any longer. She cried for the baby that she’d never get to see grow up, for the heartache that Richard’s distance and anger had created within her. She wept for her marriage that felt as if it was crumbling down around her, her children who needed their father.

She just hoped that Richard would be able to find it in his heart to forgive her, to love her again. She couldn’t bear the thought of being forced to live without him, couldn’t imagine being separated from him for the next several weeks while she was in Aydindril wondering if she even had a marriage to come back home to, a husband who still loved her.

Kahlan stiffened at the feel of an unexpected hand on her shoulder, gentle and yet familiar in a way. She quickly began wiping her eyes, ashamed to have let her feelings get away from her like this. It was very unbecoming of the Mother Confessor to lose control like this.

A well-known figure settled down on the grass beside her with a little more effort considering his more advanced years. He wordlessly wrapped his arm around her shoulder, knowing that she needed this right now. Exhausted, Kahlan went willingly, immediately melting into her father’s hold on her.

She could no longer hold back her tears anymore or felt the need to in her father’s presence. She leaned into him, her hand slipping up to clutch his shirt as she gave into the immense pain that stormed through her.

Frederick just held his daughter, allowing her to cry without forcing her to talk. He didn’t need an explanation. He knew what had happened, how Richard had reacted to Kahlan’s arrival in Caprice, how broken he had been over the loss of their baby, all but blaming Kahlan for it.

He also knew that Tristan Kabay had definitely not helped the already volatile situation that had been simmering, his unexpected presence fueling the hurt and anger that already stormed between them. He wished that Kahlan and Richard could’ve been allowed some time to work through things before she’d been forced to leave. Unfortunately, Richard’s adamant refusal to come with her had only added to the heartache.

It hurt him immensely to see his daughter in so much pain, but he knew there was little he could do except to be here for her and to guide her as best he could. Regrettably, he was not the best one to come to when it came to marital advice after what had happened with Kahlan’s mother.

“I’m sorry…”

Kahlan’s whisper of an apology broke through his troubled thoughts. “You have nothing to be sorry about, Kahlan,” he gently said, rubbing her arm as he held her.

“I’ve messed everything up,” she cried, her tears still trickling freely down her face.

“Well, let me see,” he thoughtfully replied. “You bravely went to Caprice, saved your husband’s life and stopped a woman bent on destroying you and Richard. You have three beautiful children who absolutely adore their mother and now you’re on your way back to Aydindril to save your homeland. It sounds more like a very remarkable woman to me, one that I’m more than proud to call my daughter.”

Kahlan couldn’t help but smile through her tears despite herself. Her father was proud of her. She’d never dreamed how much that would actually mean to her until she’d heard the words spoken out loud by him.

“I lost the baby…and…and Richard is…he’s furious with me,” she wept bitterly. “I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to forgive me...and now this thing with Tristan.”

“Were you the one who caused you to lose the baby?” he asked. “From what I’ve heard, it was Sangria who hurt you, the one who caused you to lose the baby. Is that not the true story?”

Kahlan knew where he was going with this, but answered anyways. “Yes, it was her,” she murmured, still appalled by the thought.

“Then I believe you should leave the blame on her shoulders, not try to carry it on yours,” he told her. “In time, Richard will come to see that as well. He’s just hurting too much right now after everything that happened to the two of you. This time apart might actually do you both some good, help you gain some perspective.”

“I hope so,” she softly replied. “I couldn’t just sit back and let him die knowing that I could save him. I couldn’t live without him, let me children grow up without their father. Does it make me an evil person because I was willing to risk my unborn child’s life for Richard’s?”

“No, Kahlan, you are far from an evil person,” he reassured her. “In fact, you are the most compassionate, most self-sacrificing person I have ever known. You never cease to put others’ wellbeing before your own, always thinking of everyone instead of yourself.”

Kahlan drew a shuddering breath still thick with so many tears. “I…I just miss him…so much it hurts,” she murmured, clutching his shirt even tighter.

“I know, my dear,” he soothed her, tightening his hold on her. “He needs you too. You two have been through so very much lately, more than your fair share. I think that once we return from Aydindril, you and Richard more than deserve some time away together alone.”

“You think you can handle the children?” Kahlan chuckled softly with the thought, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

“Of course,” he chuckled with her. “Between Zedd, Cara, Garren, Nicci, and me, I’m sure we can more than handle your three little ones.”

“You think it would take all five of you?” she smiled at the thought. “I manage it all by myself some times.”

“That’s because you’re an extraordinary woman, Kahlan, and don’t you ever forget it,” Frederick replied. “Richard knows that about you, he sees how amazing you truly are. He loves you more than I have ever seen a man love a woman. I promise you that you will be seeing him sooner than you think.”

“You really think so?” she softly asked; hope veiling her voice and taking root in her heart.

“I know so,” he nodded. “Now, you need to get some sleep. We have another big day of travel ahead of us tomorrow. You need to stay healthy for your children. Besides, you still don’t know what awaits you in Aydindril.”

“I fear it’s not going to be anything good,” she admitted, pulling out of his hold on her.

“You think Tristan’s assessment of things is correct?” he inquired, standing to his feet.

“I don’t know for certain, but I do know that he wouldn’t have come all this way for me if something terrible isn’t about to happen.”

“Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll be able to handle it, Kahlan,” he told her. “You were born for this. Even as a little girl, I knew that you were destined for great things. There was just something about you that was special, different.”

“Thank you,” she smiled at him, brushing away the remainder of her tears. “You don’t know how much it means to have you here with me.”

“It is I who is grateful to be here with you now,” he confessed. “I know that I have never been the father that you truly deserved, but I want to make it up to you, to be there for you now like I should have been for you after your mother died.”

“I’d like that,” she softly said, taking his hand and squeezing it. “Did Aiden finally settle down then?”

“Yes,” he nodded his head. “Katrina finally got him to go to sleep.”

“I have a feeling he’s going to be stubborn just like his father,” she told him, the small smile on her face quickly disappearing with the reminder of Richard. “Aiden looks so much like him.”

Frederick nodded his head in agreement. “That he is, but I can also see my daughter in that little body.”

“Then we are most definitely going to have our hands full with him when he gets older,” she chuckled softly.

Frederick’s hand came up to squeeze Kahlan’s shoulder. “You need to get some sleep, Kahlan,” he told her. “You look exhausted. Aydindril is going to need their Mother Confessor to be strong and healthy.”

Kahlan drew a deep breath, nodding her head in agreement. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Frederick watched as she made her way to her bedroll spread out by the campfire between Paige and Priya who were already sound asleep. His heart felt so heavy for his daughter and son-in-law. They had been thrust into so much chaos and he had a terrible feeling that it was far from over.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 4

He pulled his black cloak tighter around him, tugging the hood even further and allowing the shadows of the night to conceal his face. He kept his head lowered as he moved silently through the dark streets now long since empty from the day’s bustling activities.

The only sound save for the striking of his boots along the stone beneath him was the distant steady sound of patrolling Aydindril soldiers. The sole light was that of the moon shining brightly overhead and the faint candlelight cast from windows of homes lining the street. 

Cyrus could feel his heart beat a little harder in anxious anticipation of the meeting happening tonight. It had been months and months of these secret meetings taking place within the safe confines of darkness. Months of planning and bickering and fighting, compromising and plotting had finally led to this. Now it was finally coming together, their ultimate goal almost within their reach.

Soon, Lord Richard Rahl wouldn’t know what had hit him until it was far too late, wouldn’t realize that Aydindril and the Midlands had slipped right through his fingers. He would learn the hard way the cost of trying to rule the Midlands from D’Hara as if it was his to control.

He was a vile Rahl. That alone made him unacceptable to rule, but on top of that he had the audacity to unite two territories under his own empire? 

Cyrus could feel his muscles tighten, his teeth grinding with the fury simmering within him. How dare he not only try to force his rule over Aydindril and the Midlands, but to force his wife, their very own Mother Confessor, to abide by his decision?

He had known Kahlan Amnell since she had first come to live at the Confessor’s Palace, had watched her grow into a beautiful, powerful woman. She had been the brilliant light that would guide their futures as well as the future for their territory, banishing all the evilness that Darken Rahl had brought down like a vile plague upon them all.

Now, she’d been turned against them, turned against her very own homeland and the people she’d sworn to protect and defend. She would have to pay for her actions as well if she did not relinquish her ties to the Lord Rahl of D’Hara and return permanently to Aydindril.

At the unexpected sound of footsteps coming from behind, Cyrus’s hand went for his dagger kept hidden beneath his dark cloak, his fingers wrapping tightly around the hilt. He swallowed hard, ready to take down anyone who might interfere in his important work.

He knew, understood the great cost if they were discovered too soon and was willing to play whatever part necessary to insure their success.

He tilted his head slightly, quickening his pace. If he was being followed, he would have to do something to eliminate the threat. He couldn’t lead them to their underground meeting place, allow his fellow supporters to be discovered. 

They couldn’t afford to be found out or charged with treason against the D’Haran Empire before they’d been allowed to accomplish their ultimate goal. They had fought for months now to save Aydindril from the House of Rahl and he wasn’t about to give that battle up any time soon, especially after all that it had cost him already.

He could feel the unknown pursuer behind him bearing down on him. He silently drew his dagger, gripping it tightly in his now clammy hand beneath his cloak. If this person continued on their present course, he would be losing his life.

It would be a very small price to pay for the ultimate good of the cause.

The footsteps steadily grew louder, more pronounced and falling into a steady drumming rhythm that seemed to match that of his own. Cyrus held his breath in anticipation of the worst, hoping it wouldn’t come to that.

He’d never taken a life before, watched as a man’s spirit slowly left his body, the light dimming in his eyes as drifted from this world and into the next, but he would do it now if necessary. He released a silent prayer of strength as well as a plea for forgiveness for what he was about to do.

He suddenly wandered what his wife would think, knowing that she was married to a murderer. Time seemed to screech to a tedious crawl, the sound of the footsteps growing muffled as that thought took root in his mind.

Would she still be able to love him if she found out? Would she understand why he done it?

He drew a deep breath to cleanse his mind and to focus his thoughts again. He couldn’t allow himself to become distracted or turned away from the path that he’d been hurtling down for months. He had chosen this path for a reason and he wasn’t about to turn back now.

It felt like his pursuer was breathing down his neck, ready to spring at any moment and take him down like a gar would his prey. Sweat began to form and trickle down his neck beneath the collar of his shirt despite the cool spring breeze that hit his partially obscured face.

His insides twisted with fear, his heart pumping wildly with the adrenaline flowing through his veins. He turned the corner, hoping his follower would keep going straight and avoid the confrontation that was about to come.

Unfortunately, the foot strikes continued to follow him as if they belonged to his very own shadow. He could feel the fine hairs on the back of his neck prickle. He was going to have to change directions soon before he led his lingering shadow to the secret meeting place beneath the Brass Star Tavern.

Another course of action suddenly sprang to his mind, one that would hopefully end in less violence if he could just diffuse the tense situation. If he couldn’t, then he was resolved to do whatever was necessary.

Cyrus suddenly stopped, pretending to fumble around in his pockets searching for a lost item. The boot strikes seemed to echo so loudly in his ears as if the man had suddenly morphed into an enormous giant.

“Lose something, friend?”

A voice came, one that was familiar and far from expected, nearly causing Cyrus to drop his dagger from surprise. He whipped around, pulling the hood of his dark cloak back with his free hand, revealing his face in the faint glow of the moonlight.

“Edmund?” Cyrus exclaimed in shock. “What in the name of the Creator are you doing sneaking up on an old man in the middle of the night? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

“Cyrus?” Edmund squinted in the dim light at his longtime friend. “What are you doing out here at this hour?”

“I could be asking you the same thing, old friend,” Cyrus evasively replied, forcing a friendly smile to his lips as he secretly slid his dagger back into place. “What are you up to wandering the streets of Aydindril at this late hour?”

“I just heading to the Brass Star to meet with Williams from the Council,” Edmund replied.

“At this hour?” Cyrus frowned, more because of where his friend was heading. How was he going to lose him now?

“Unfortunately,” Edmund sighed heavily. “This was the only time I could fit it in. It was a last minute request from Williams to meet with me.”

“Nothing wrong I hope?” Cyrus pressed, hoping to gather a little information that he might be able to take with him to his own meeting.

“Not sure,” Edmund scratched his chin. “He had some concerns that he wished to discuss with me.”

“And he didn’t want to discuss it at the Confessor’s Palace?”

“No,” the elderly man shook his head in thought. “I think he was worried there might be too many ears there. He was acting rather paranoid when I spoke with him early this morning.”

Cyrus pondered his words for a moment before responding, wondering what Williams was up to. He was not on their side and would require further attention to make sure they hadn’t been discovered yet. “Well, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Edmund clapped his friend on the back with a broad smile. “I’ll do that,” he nodded. “By the way, where are you heading?”

“Me? Just out for a late night stroll,” he tried to deflect the question as well as his attention. “I couldn’t sleep so I thought I’d get some fresh air. You know how my knee likes to stiffen up on me.”

“Isn’t it great getting old?” Edmund chuckled ruefully with a shake of his head. “We live our whole childhood anxious for the day we can be adults and once we get old, we yearn for the days when we were young again.”

“Truer words have never been spoken, old friend,” Cyrus agreed. “Let me know if I can be of any assistance.”

“I will,” Edmund nodded as he shook his hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the Council meeting.”

“See you then,” Cyrus bid him farewell, watching his friend as he was swallowed up into night’s shadows. 

He felt a sudden heaviness in his heart, one that he hadn’t expected. Edmund had been a dear friend to him for well over sixty seasons or better. It was disheartening and rather disconcerting to know that Edmund would pay a heavy price for his allegiance to Lord Rahl once everything was said and done, but it had to be. It was for the greater good of Aydindril and the Midlands.

He couldn’t help what was about to come, but he promised himself that he’d do everything in his power to try and protect Edmund as best he could. When it came down to it, though, he would have to go along with the alliance.

He hoped in due time that his friend would come to see that all of this was for the best. There just was no other way. Everyone was so enthralled with Lord Richard Rahl and his marriage to their beloved Mother Confessor, viewing it as a fairy tale come to life.

Kahlan Amnell had been able to marry for love, the first Confessor in thousands of years to be able to do such a remarkable thing. Everyone readily accepted the union, bowing to their every whim and wish even when it meant uniting with D’Hara to form the D’Haran Empire.

The Midlands had all but been forgotten, Aydindril no longer the ruling seat in a territory whose lines had just been wiped away by the magnificent Lord Rahl. Everyone just accepted it by blind faith because he was the great Seeker of Truth, had saved them from being bound by the powerful chains of tyranny.

And she…she was the beloved Mother Confessor, respected and feared by all. Beautiful and powerful, no one would dare question her or go against her.

Except for the Alliance. 

They would sit back no longer and just allow the Midlands to be swallowed up into an Empire they neither needed nor wanted. They would fight Richard Rahl with all they had and if Kahlan Rahl got caught in the crossfire then so be it.

She had made her choice, choosing to side with a Rahl. And for that, it just might cost the Mother Confessor her life.

XXX

Zedd sat in the library pouring over the books he and Frederick had managed to gather before Frederick had left with Kahlan for Aydindril. He tried to do his best to focus on the work before him, but it was near impossible with the absolute chaos that had erupted around them.

It broke his weary heart to see his grandson and Kahlan struggling so much and this distance between them was certainly not helping things. Richard had already put an emotional barrier between them after Michael’s death, but Kahlan losing their unborn baby had only added to it. Now, there was a physical barrier as well.

He sank back in his chair with a sigh, rubbing his tired eyes. He wanted nothing more than to just flick his wrist and cast a spell that would fix all of this, remove the heartache and anguish, the anger and guilt that consumed both Richard and Kahlan.

He was so angry with Richard for letting his family depart like that, allowing his wife to leave for Aydindril with Tristan Kabay as well as the children. He was just begging for trouble if he didn’t go after them.

In the past when things had been difficult or strained between them, Zedd had always known that they would make it through one way of another. Even when they thought they couldn’t be together because of Kahlan’s magic, he knew they would figure it out and find a way.

Now…now, he didn’t know what to think anymore.

He’d never seen Richard quite like this before, so broken and lost and angry at everyone and everything…especially Kahlan. It was so unlike him. He revered Kahlan above all else, treasured her and loved her most of all.

It was like when Michael had died, something died inside of Richard as well despite never truly knowing the boy. It was like it had somehow shattered some sort of notion that Richard had held deep within himself, one that told him he could do anything, even halting the inevitabilities in life like death.

When he’d been unable to keep Michael from dying, it was like that notion had suddenly been crushed, stealing away a piece of himself in a way that no one could’ve ever anticipated.

Zedd couldn’t really blame him, though. He’d been able to achieve far beyond what anyone had ever expected, surpassing all expectations and causing everyone to believe in the Seeker again, believe in justice, that there was still good in the world despite the wickedness of Darken Rahl and the Keeper.

Richard had been able to do the impossible over and over again, but he hadn’t been able to prevent the death of a little boy who never should’ve existed in the first place.

On top of that, he hadn’t been able to escape Sangria, hadn’t been able to keep Kahlan from coming after him, and hadn’t been able to keep her from losing their unborn baby that she had carried in her womb.

It had only added to the self-imposed guilt and anger that he already needlessly carried. It had forced him to face his fallibility more than he feared Richard wanted to.

And instead of facing the fact that he couldn’t control every situation or protect everything and everyone, he had lashed out at the one who loved him above all else, the one who could help him the most, the one who needed him now more than ever before.

But she was gone now, leaving for Aydindril with an equally broken heart and a man who obviously still had feelings for her. And just when he didn’t think that things could get any worse, he remembered a piece of prophecy concerning Richard and Kahlan as well as their children.

It struck fear deep in his heart like a bolt of deadly lightning, reminding him of all that he held dear, all that he was in great danger of losing if he didn’t get to the bottom of this prophecy soon.

“Could you use some company?”

Zedd looked up to find Nicci standing in the doorway with a tray in hand, a plate of sticky buns and two cups of tea. He quickly sat up in his chair in eager anticipation, his stomach rumbling its desire for what he saw.

“Always from you, my dear,” Zedd grinned. “Especially when you come bearing my favorite snack.”

Zedd quickly stood to his feet, clearing a place on the table for her to set the tray down. His mouth was already beginning to water at the sight of the warm sticky goodness on the plate before him as Nicci poured herself and the Wizard a cup of hot tea.

“So what brings you down here to me at this hour of the night?” Zedd finally asked as he took a large bite of a gooey bun.

“I thought you could use some help,” she smiled, settling down in the chair beside him.

“You couldn’t sleep either?” he knowingly asked, his eyes twinkling.

“No,” she admitted with a soft sigh of resignation. “I’m afraid sleep has become somewhat elusive these days.”

“Or since Richard decided to let Kahlan leave without a word?”

“I never thought I’d see the day Richard would let Kahlan just walk right out of his life with another man without even a fight,” she sadly said, stirring her tea with an absentminded look on her face.

“I don’t think any of us did,” Zedd replied with equal anguish as he chewed on his bun. “Richard is no longer the man that he once was, the one we once knew. He’s broken right now and I don’t know what to do help him anymore.”

Nicci’s expression suddenly turned furious. “I know what I’d like to do,” she scowled.

“I sort of beat you to it this afternoon,” Zedd admitted with a sheepish grin.

Nicci sat up a little straighter in her chair, hope springing anew in her eyes as she leaned in a little closer. “What did you do?”

“I marched into his office and gave him a lecture like he’s never had before,” Zedd proudly smiled as he licked the sticky sweet from the bun off of his lips. “I told him that he wasn’t the only one hurting and to get his head on straight before he really lost everything.”

Nicci nodded her head in obvious approval. “How did he take it?”

“He was furious with me,” Zedd sighed heavily as he reached for another sticky bun. “Shot off all these ridiculous reasons why Kahlan was to blame, how she ran off to Aydindril choosing Tristan over him.”

“But she didn’t!” Nicci protested, her hand slamming down angrily onto the top of the table. “She wanted Richard to go with her, but he refused. He practically pushed her into Tristan’s arms with how he treated her, all but blaming her for losing their baby, furious with her for coming after him.”

“I know,” Zedd nodded his head in agreement. “I pretty much told him that, but he feels Tristan is who Kahlan truly wants. He’s so angry she never told him about the broken engagement.”

Nicci leapt to her feet, her own anger and frustration beginning to get the better of her as she began to pace back and forth. “He is being absolutely ridiculous!” she cried. “Kahlan chose him. Kahlan risked everything to stay with him, to protect him. She married him, brought his children into the world. What more proof does that stubborn fool need to see that she loves him, not Tristan?”

“I’m not sure, my dear,” Zedd shook his head. “He’s blinded by his emotions right now, has allowed his anger to take control of him again. He’s lost his way and it’s up to us to help him find it again for both his and Kahlan’s sake.”

“I think I need to begin our sessions again,” Nicci thoughtfully supposed. “Working on touching his Han and controlling his magic would definitely help him focus again, regain control of his emotions.”

“That’s a good idea,” he nodded in agreement. “He’s always had to battle his emotions for as long as I’ve known him. So much has happened to them recently. It’s caused him to spiral right out of control.”

“I know,” Nicci agreed. “He’s had to endure so much lately that it’s heart-breaking, but if he doesn’t get his head out of the sand, he’s going to lose even more.”

“He thinks he’s already lost her, though,” he scowled as he licked his sticky fingers clean. “He’s just given up.”

“That’s not like him especially when it comes to Kahlan,” Nicci confidently said. “Besides, Kahlan will be back. She won’t give up on him so quickly.”

“I think he believes that he’ll never see her again or his children.”

“It’s not like him not to fight for Kahlan, though,” Nicci frowned. “He’s fought for her ever since he met her, hasn’t he?”

Zedd snorted in response. “That’s putting it mildly,” he replied. “He’d give anything and everything for her without a second thought, but he’s hurt and he’s angry. He’s wallowing in self-pity and doubt.”

“Well, tomorrow is a new day,” Nicci said, taking her seat again. “We’ll see what I can do to move things along, get him out of his depression and back to the Richard we all love.”

“That would be a good place to start,” Zedd huffed. “If we don’t do something soon, I fear Cara will step in and we all know that won’t be pleasant.”

Nicci chuckled softly. “You are right about that. If Cara gets a hold of him, there might not be anything left of him for Kahlan to come back to.”

Zedd grimaced with the image that flashed through his mind. He visibly shuddered. “That would definitely not be a good thing.”

“Garren told me it’s taking all he’s got to keep her from pummeling him,” Nicci informed him. “Cara was threatening to drag him to Aydindril herself the other day.”

“Maybe we should just let her,” Zedd grinned.

“Let’s try my way first,” Nicci smiled in return. “What is this that you’re working on? I know you’ve been up to something lately with Frederick, but I don’t know what.”

“I’m not so sure you want to know,” Zedd sighed heavily.

Nicci pursed her lips, knowing that look on Zedd’s face a little too well. “More trouble?”

“Always,” Zedd groused, his wiry white eyebrows knitting together. “I remembered a partial prophecy recently that I’d stumbled across a while back. It didn’t really hit me at the time until the events of the last few weeks. That’s when it all clicked and it fell into place.

“The prophecy not only concerns Richard and Kahlan, but I’m afraid it surrounds their children as well.”

“And I take it that it’s not a pleasant one?”

“It rarely is when it involves the Seeker and Mother Confessor,” he grunted. “It said something about twins dually blessed with magic of the bonded gifted will forever split, one to the left and one to the right if the bonded gifted is ever broken.”

“Is that it?”

“No, that’s just the part of it I can remember which is why I’ve been pouring over all of these books like a madman trying to find the rest of it.”

“Well, since Frederick went with Kahlan, consider me your new assistant,” Nicci told him, taking a sip of her tea.

Zedd smiled in appreciation, relieved to have the help. He just hoped that they could find a way to avert this prophecy before they all ended up in more trouble than they already were. He feared, though, that the prophecy was already beginning to come to fruition with how broken Richard and Kahlan truly were right now.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 5

Kahlan sat on the blanket she’d spread out on the tall grass, her daughters picking at their lunch with little interest. There was too much around them to see and do to be interested in eating at that particular moment.

She knew how her girls felt, understood that their father’s blood flowed with great strength through their veins as well as her own. She felt her insides tremble with the thought of Richard. Spirits, she missed him so much, hated how things had been left between them.

Their marriage was suddenly so broken, so strained and full of so much heartache. How had things become such a mess? How had she managed to lose Richard’s love? Did he even think of her at all?

She felt wet warmth begin to cut narrow paths down her cheeks, unbidden and unwanted, but she couldn’t seem to make them stop. Talking with her father last night had helped for a little while, at least allowing her to finally get some much needed sleep.

Unfortunately, the well of anguish and hurt was suddenly overflowing again. Kahlan quickly wiped the tears away with her fingertips, not wanting to let anyone see her cry or lose control, least of all her children.

Paige toddled over to her mother with a piece of fruit in her chubby little hand, offering her mother a bite. Kahlan smiled at her sweet girl, knowing that she had sensed her mother’s distress. Paige was already showing great instincts and empathy, picking up on others’ dispositions and trying to offer comfort even at her very young age.

It warmed her heart, knowing that Paige would make such an amazing Confessor some day.

“No, sweetheart,” Kahlan told her, running her fingers lightly through her raven curls. “You need to eat it and then you can play for a little while before we need to leave again.”

Paige jabbered something incomprehensible in reply, putting the small piece of fruit in her mouth. She launched herself into her mother’s lap, hugging Kahlan and mumbling a sad “Mama”. It hurt Kahlan deeply, being away from Richard after all that had happened between them recently, but it hurt her even more knowing how much it upset their children not getting to see their father.

Richard adored his children just as much as they adored him. She hated this separation knowing that it had brought Richard even more pain than he was already being forced to contend with, but it had been his choice. He had refused to come with her, choosing rather to stay in D’Hara while his family left for Aydindril.

She wanted him here with her, needed him now more than ever before. They had lost a baby that they had made and now she was being forced to grieve over that loss all alone, wondering if she even had a marriage to return to.

She longed to comfort him, to feel his strong arms around her, his soft heartfelt reassurances of his love. She wanted to help him with all that he was struggling so hard with, to make him understand that everything that she had done had been rooted in her deep love for him.

But he didn’t want her anymore, didn’t even want to be near her and that hurt her more than a dagger’s blade or the torture from any agiel ever could. It nearly tore her heart in two.

Kahlan kissed the top of Paige’s head, opening her eyes to find Priya standing next to her, curiosity filling her eyes and an expression so much like Richard’s on her face. She leaned over and kissed Priya’s forehead as well, stroking her chestnut curls.

“I love both of you more than you know,” she told them, forcing back the tears she refused to allow to form. “And I promise you I’ll do everything that I can to make us all a family again…no matter what it takes.”

“How are my favorite girls doing?”

Kahlan looked up to see her father approaching. “They’re just finishing up their lunch.”

“Good,” Frederick smiled. “How about I take them for a walk before we have to leave? I’m sure they’re getting sick of that carriage by now.”

“That would be great,” Kahlan agreed. “I already fed Aiden. He’s fast asleep with Katrina.”

Frederick’s expression suddenly grew somber as he studied his daughter, seeing the weight of her heartache etched in her face. “Kahlan, are you sure you want to do this?” he gently asked. “You know we can always turn around and go back to the People’s Palace. No one would ever think any less of you especially after everything that you’ve been through recently.”

Kahlan thought about it for a long moment, the idea of seeing Richard again, forcing him to listen to her side for once instead of acting like this was all about him suddenly so tempting. She knew in her heart, though, Richard would have to wait for now, Aydindril could not.

“No,” she finally said. “I need to get to Aydindril and make sure everything is alright. Besides, Richard made his choice…and it wasn’t me.”

“Kahlan, he’s just hurting and confused right now,” Frederick tried to reassure her. “It doesn’t mean that he has stopped loving you or that he won’t change his mind about coming to Aydindril.”

Kahlan slowly nodded her head, afraid to test her voice. “I hope so,” she managed to whisper.

Frederick smiled sadly at her, taking Paige and Priya’s small hands in his and leading them away. Watching them leave, Tristan made his way to Kahlan, his heart heavy for all that she was being forced to endure right now. It wasn’t right and he felt so helpless to fix it for her.

“May I have a seat?” he asked with a smile, his sky blue eyes sparkling brightly.

“Sure,” Kahlan forced a smile as she scooted over a little, allowing him to join her on the blanket.

Tristan settled down next to her, pleased she had accepted his company. He held out his hand to her, opening it up to reveal some strawberries that he’d found. “Look what I came across,” Tristan grinned at her. “They’re still your favorite, aren’t they?”

“You still remember that?” she asked, stunned as she watched him set them on the blanket before her.

“Of course,” he replied, handing her a strawberry before popping one into his mouth. “I remember everything about you, Kahlan. How can I forget anything about the woman I almost married?”

“Tristan…” Kahlan sighed with regret.

“I know…I’m sorry,” he quickly said, raising his hand to stop the words that he didn’t want to hear, couldn’t bear to hear from her. “I shouldn’t have said that, but it’s the truth, Kahlan. I never stopped loving you.

“I tried to move on, began seeing other women, but no one could ever compare to you. Even after I heard you married the Seeker, bore his children; I still couldn’t accept that you were with someone else.”

“I’m so sorry, Tristan,” she said, automatically reaching out to grasp his hand. “I never knew. I thought after our engagement was broken and I had left to fulfill my duties as a Confessor that you would’ve moved on. I never thought that you would be back home waiting for me.”

“It’s not your fault, Kahlan,” Tristan shook his head with a frown. “I knew your feelings for me weren’t as strong as mine for you, but I had hoped that you would come to love me in time. It was foolish for me to think that, but it was difficult to let go of that hope.”

“It’s not foolish,” Kahlan told him, touched by his honest heartfelt confession. “I’m sure I would’ve fallen in love with you had we married.”

Tristan chuckled bitterly with her words. “I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse.”

“Tristan, you are a handsome, amazing man who…” she began.

He quickly held his hand up again, halting her in her tracks. “It’s alright. You don’t have to give me the ‘I’m sure you’ll find someone someday’ speech. Father gave me that same speech more times than I could count. No one could ever measure up to you, though.”

He knew that he shouldn’t, but he could no longer hold himself back. Before he knew it, his hand was moving of its own accord, his fingers softly caressing her beautiful face as he lost himself in her stunning blue eyes.

“Tristan…” Kahlan whispered, her heart suddenly hammering wildly.

She knew that she needed to stop him, but his touch felt so good, the powerful ache inside so strong for so long that she had forgotten what it was like to actually be able to breathe again. She just wanted to forget the pain so badly; to erase how much Richard had hurt her, what saving him from Sangria had cost the both of them.

She wanted to be able to smile again, to be happy and loved and touched like Richard used to touch her.

Before she knew it, her eyes were falling closed, her face turning to melt into the palm of his hand as a soft sigh escaped her lips. She swallowed past the guilt and fear that suddenly lodged in her throat, reminding her how wrong this truly was.

Tristan knew that he shouldn’t be taking advantage of her when she was so broken and hurt, so very vulnerable, but she looked so beautiful sitting there in the sunlight. He ached for the chance to erase her pain, to take care of her and love her the way that she so deserved.

He slowly leaned in, his lips brushing against hers, not wanting to scare her away. He was stunned when she didn’t pull away from him as he kissed her, relieved and ecstatic. She didn’t return the kiss, but at the same time she didn’t try to stop him either, causing hope to spring anew in his heart as he continued to kiss her.

He finally retreated, not wanting to rush or push her, but more than thankful for the chance to put her heart back together for her. What Richard Rahl had done to her had been reprehensible, nearly unforgivable in his eyes.

Richard didn’t truly understand what he had done to Kahlan, what he’d had in his life or what he was allowing to slip right through his fingers.

“Tristan, we can’t,” Kahlan quickly shook her head as she backed away from him, more than relieved they were in a secluded spot away from prying eyes. “I’m married to Richard.”

“Do you love him, Kahlan?” Tristan pressed, scooting forward to grab hold of her forearms. “I know you said you did, but do you really love him after all he has put you through?”

Kahlan stared at him for a long moment as tears rose to her eyes, searching her heart for an answer that she needn’t even look for. “Yes, Tristan, I do,” she murmured. “I love him.”

“He let you leave for Aydindril with another man, without so much as a fight, Kahlan,” he practically yelled, his emotions getting the better of him. “He let you walk right out of his life without a word, without any idea if or when you would be coming back, with no concern for the extreme danger that you are putting yourself in by going to Aydindril. Does that sound like a man who loves his wife?”

Kahlan flinched with his words as if he’d physically struck her, unable to stop the tears that came now no matter how badly she wanted to, but his words had sliced her heart to shreds. It was what she had feared all along, that she had lost Richard as well as his love when she had lost their baby.

Tristan immediately regretted his words, knowing that he had said too much. “I’m so sorry, Kahlan,” he told her, pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly in his embrace. “I never should have said that to you. I’m sure Richard loves you very much. He’s probably just confused right now, needs time to sort through things.”

Kahlan clung to him as if he was her only life line to keeping her sanity. “I lost him, Tristan,” she cried over and over again as she broke down in sobs. “I lost him…”

“You haven’t lost him,” Tristan softly reassured her as he pressed a gentle kiss to her hair. “No matter what, you’ll always have me, Kahlan. I’ll always be here for you no matter what.”

He held her for a long time, allowing her to cry as he stroked her hair. It felt like heaven holding her in his arms and at the same time broke his heart to see her so shattered like this. It made him want to beat Richard within an inch of his life for destroying her like he had.

“Shhh, Kahlan…it’s going to be alright…I promise,” Tristan murmured into her hair.

He would be there for her one way or another, at the very least as her friend and if the good spirits allowed, her love and hopefully one day her husband. He silently prayed for the latter, hoping that this was his chance to get Kahlan back at last.

XXX

Cyrus Lang sat at the council meeting table, his attention seemingly on Edmund when in reality his thoughts were leagues away. The secret Alliance meeting last night had gone long into the early hours of the dawn leaving him more than drained, but it had all been well worth it.

Reports from spies throughout the territory had come in, letting the Alliance know that similar stirrings of discontent were being created throughout the Empire against Lord Rahl. Many attempts at these uprisings had been quite unsuccessful and met with great opposition, but small rumblings had begun.

It seemed that support for Lord Richard Rahl ran further and stronger than any of them could have guessed and yet it had not deterred the Alliance in the least. In fact, it seemed to have given them renewed resolve to fight even harder, bolstering their spirits.

Cyrus’s brown eyes lifted to meet those of the man sitting directly across the large conference table from him. He was a slim man, taller and not much younger than Cyrus himself, but with a lot less hair on his head.

Trevor Bail’s dark eyes met his, a small knowing smirk tugging at the very corners of his mouth. They both knew that soon control would be back in their hands, the Midlands belonging to them and to Aydindril once more. All will be as it should be and Richard Rahl will be no more.

The thought caused a shiver of excitement to suddenly tremble through Cyrus. They were growing that much closer to realizing their dreams, of taking the Midlands back. It couldn’t happen soon enough for his liking.

As if reading his thoughts, Trevor’s smirk seemed to grow. It was because of Trevor that all of this had even become possible. If he hadn’t found out about the Alliance and brought them to Aydindril, they would have been left with no hope of clawing their way out from under Richard Rahl’s rule.

Cyrus swiftly broke eye contact with him, not wanting to arouse suspicion from the other members. He turned his focus back to Edmund again who seemed to finally be wrapping up the lengthy agenda.

He still couldn’t believe they had met on the street last night. He had been concerned at first that Edmund had discovered their plans, had found about the Alliance’s presence in Aydindril, but thankfully his presence last night had seemed purely coincidental.

It was somewhat troubling finding out that Carson Williams had wanted to meet with Edmund in the middle of the night away from the Confessor’s Palace. When he had informed the Alliance last night, they had all agreed that it was a situation that they needed to keep an eye on.

Cyrus had to admit to still feeling a degree of guilt over what was about to come, regret that Edmund would end up getting caught in the crossfire of all of this. He wished there was something that he could do to warn or protect him, but he knew Edmund. He would take Richard and Kahlan Rahl’s side in this, warn them of what was about to come and they couldn’t afford for that to happen.

Cyrus was quickly pulled from his thoughts as everyone began to rise from their seats, indicating that Edmund had adjourned the meeting. He pushed himself up to his feet as well, his knee rebelling against the sudden change in position, causing him to grimace with the ache that shot through it.

He began gathering up his things, keeping his head lowered and his eyes focused on his task. He heard scattered bits of conversation milling around him, pretending as though he wasn’t trying to listen in as he tried to pick up on any information that could prove useful to the Alliance.

Turning, he was surprised to find himself staring into the face of Linus Bertram. “Linus,” he politely greeted him, forcing a friendly smile. “What can I help you with?”

“We need to talk…now,” the younger man softly stated, the fine lines around his mouth indicating the depths of his displeasure. Although his voice was soft, there was a definite edge to it that made Cyrus’s chest immediately tighten with dread.

“Sure thing, Linus,” he forced a smile that was anything but genuine as he clapped him on the shoulder.

Whatever Linus wanted to talk to him about had shaken him, hoping that something hadn’t happened to upset the Alliance’s plans. Cyrus escorted him several feet away into a shadowed alcove away from listening ears and the buzz of conversation that still permeated the Council chambers.

“What is it?” Cyrus frowned, hoping Linus was just getting worked up over nothing.

“I just received word that Kahlan Rahl is on her way to Aydindril right now as we speak,” Linus whispered.

“The Mother Confessor is coming here?” Cyrus scowled, his words coming out slightly louder than he had intended. “How did this happen?”

“I’m not sure,” Linus hissed, his brow knitted with worry. “All I know is that she was spotted south of here by our spies and will likely be here by tomorrow.”

Cyrus’s scowl deepened even further, a growl of frustration escaping his lips. “This couldn’t have come at a worst time. She could ruin everything before we’re ready.”

“There’s more,” Linus told him. “Her children are with her.”

“And what about Lord Rahl?” Cyrus asked.

“No sign of him,” Linus shook his head. “He’s either still at the People’s Palace or he’s coming later.”

Cyrus thought this over carefully before finally responding. “Maybe things with the Mother Confessor and Lord Rahl aren’t as perfect as we thought. Maybe we can still turn her to our side yet.”

“And what if we can’t?” Linus bit out, fear having a choke hold on him.

“We need to call an emergency meeting of the Alliance tonight to further discuss this,” Cyrus replied. “Get the word out immediately to the others. We’ll need to make preparations for her arrival. We also may need to move up our time table.”

“But what will Kao C’Id say about that?”

“Shhh…” Cyrus angrily hushed the younger man. “You know we’re not supposed to say his name out loud outside of the Alliance assembly. Someone could hear and find out about his involvement.”

Linus visibly blanched, practically recoiling in fear, his dark eyes instantly darting about making sure that he hadn’t been overheard as sweat began to bead on his brow. “What will he say about it?”

“I don’t know,” Cyrus sighed heavily, rubbing his chin in thought. “Hopefully the Alliance will be able to come up with a plan to stop Kahlan Rahl if she can’t be turned back to our side.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 6

Richard sat in the grass, the afternoon sun shining down upon him and the sheer darkness that gripped him. His legs were stretched out before him, crossed at the ankles with his back leaning against the rough stone of a bench. 

He had always loved it out here in the Lord Rahl’s private garden, the tranquility and contentment that pervaded it, the respite from life’s woes and responsibilities. It hadn’t provided him any of those things that he had longed for in some time, not since Michael’s death and especially not since Kahlan’s departure for Aydindril with his children…with another man.

He tipped his head back, bringing the bottle to his lips and downed the dark liquid that burned his throat. He internally winced at the feel of the liquor swimming in his empty stomach, wishing it would completely erase the searing pain inside instead of just numbing it for a little while.

He guessed it was better than nothing at all, better than feeling that crushing weight in his chest that stole his breath and threatened his sanity. He honestly didn’t know how much more of this he could take, how much longer he could go on like this. Each day without her and his children felt like an eternity spent in the Underworld.

His life was nothing more than a hopeless abyss that continued to suck him even further in, his heart lying in sharp jagged pieces scattered in his chest that tore and pierced with every breath he drew. It felt as though his blood had boiled down to nothing with the rage within, his insides ashes.

Richard’s bleary gaze fell on the headstone silently keeping him company several feet away, the sunlight bringing out the various veins of color that ran like spider webs throughout the marble slab. Death suddenly felt like such a welcome reprieve from the hell that he was living now, wishing more than anything that he could trade places with Michael.

Then the little boy would be alive, living the life that he should have been able to live instead of being buried in the cold isolation of the ground. Kahlan might still be carrying his child right now, would be safe here in the People’s Palace with him and their children instead of gallivanting around the Empire with Tristan Kabay…her former love.

A deep sneer twisted his lips, his nostrils flaring as he thought about the man who had taken Kahlan away from him, taking her back to Aydindril and right out of his life along with his children. The thought of Tristan touching his wife, kissing her…his body covering hers as he made love to her caused his insides to wrench and churn with bitter jealousy, a hot seething rage that nearly blinded him.

Richard suddenly lurched forward, throwing the bottle as hard as he could in a flash of fury and cry of rage, watching as the glass shattered against the tombstone. He sank back with a fierce growl, grabbing another bottle and taking a long drink.

His eyes watered as the flames of alcohol liked like pure fire in his throat, hoping that it would burn him alive from the inside out and end his misery. He honestly didn’t believe that life could possibly get any worse than this, knowing deep down that he had no one to blame for it except for himself.

It still didn’t erase the anger and hurt that Kahlan had helped create within him, didn’t change the fact that she had basically lied to him by not telling him about her past with Tristan Kabay. It didn’t ease the heartache, knowing that his wife had chosen another man over him.

And yet, he loved Kahlan with a completeness and depth that rivaled none, was connected to her like no one he had ever known before. He was one with her in every way imaginable, loving her with every fiber of his being and now she was gone, taking his heart and soul with her.

His mind buzzed from the alcohol that he’d drank, a weightless feeling beginning to wash over him as the liquor finally took effect, dulling his senses and numbing his entire body and yet the pain didn’t seem to cease for one grueling moment. 

Exhaustion pulled heavily on his senses, the lack of sleep he’d had since Kahlan had left fighting to drag him into unconsciousness, but he didn’t want to go there, refused to give into it.

The nightmares always followed him there, images of Tristan on top of Kahlan, his wife calling out another man’s name in the throes of heated passion, watching as Tristan touched her in places only he had ever touched her, filling her with himself over and over again. Memories of Michael dying, Kahlan being tortured and losing their baby never ceased to haunt him as well. He couldn’t shake it any of it no matter how hard he tried.

He felt ill to his very core, wanting to vomit at the thought of losing his precious Kahlan, but he swallowed it all back. She had made her choice and it wasn’t him. He knew he couldn’t really blame her, not after the way that he had treated her since Michael’s death.

Richard put the bottle to his lips again, prepared to tip his head back and drown himself in his anguish when he sensed someone approaching. He paused momentarily before taking a long sip. Whoever it was, he wasn’t in the mood to talk.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding out.”

Nicci’s feminine voice tickled his ears, but he refused to turn and acknowledge her. He just wanted to be left alone right now. He had managed to push Kahlan and his children away. He was sure he wasn’t too far from pushing everyone else away as well.

He could hear the soft swooshing of her skirt grazing along the blades of grass as she drew near. Her familiar flowery scent reached his nostrils even over the overpowering smell of the alcohol as she settled down in the grass beside him, her back leaning against the other stone leg of the bench.

Several long moments passed by before she finally spoke again. “This isn’t the Richard that I know,” she softly said.

Richard took another swallow from his bottle before responding. “Sorry to disappoint you,” he bitterly snapped. “I’m afraid you aren’t the first and you definitely won’t be the last so you might as well leave too.”

Nicci sighed to herself as she stretched out her legs before her and smoothed out her skirt, mentally preparing herself for the battle that she was battle to fight. “So is this what you’ve reduced yourself to?” she prodded, turning a furious green eye on him. “Getting drunk out in the garden by a tombstone?”

“Afraid so. Not very Lord Rahl or Seeker of me is it?” he snidely replied. “I’d offer you a drink, but I only brought enough for myself. You’ll have to find your own way to deal with your disappointment in me.”

Nicci bristled with the anger thrumming through her now. This was not the same Richard she had fallen in love with, the same one who had inspired her with so much hope in mankind again, banishing the darkness and shining a light so bright that it was positively blinding at times.

She knew he was still in there deep down past all of the layers of hurt and self-loathing, the guilt and the rage. His heart still beat pure and true. She just had to help him see it, feel it…believe in himself again.

She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he swallowed down another mouthful of alcohol. It was unusual to see him drinking like this. For as long as she’d known him, he’d never been much of a drinker save for an occasional glass of wine with dinner. She feared this was far worse than they had originally believed.

They sat in tense silence for several long minutes before Richard finally broke the stillness that had surrounded them. “If you’re here to lecture me, you can save your breath. Zedd already beat you to it.”

“I just have one question for you,” Nicci gently replied, her focus on Michael’s headstone as well as the shattered glass that lay around it.

“What is it?” he tersely asked.

“What would Kahlan think now of the man that she married?”

The question hung in the air so thick and harsh and suffocating, her words piercing his heart just as sure as if it had been the blade of a sword. Before he could even think of some sort of response, Nicci turned to face him, her voice growing harder.

“Isn’t that what you have feared for so long? Losing yourself? No longer being the man that Kahlan fell in love with and married?” she pressed. “That’s what you told me when we were on our way to Caprice. After Michael’s death, you feared Kahlan would no longer see you as the man she married, that you had lost your way somehow.

“Tell me, Richard. What would she think of you now? What would she say if she knew you were out here sitting in the grass before Michael’s tombstone drinking and wallowing in self-pity and anger?”

Richard stared at the half-empty bottle in his hand, his vision blurring from the alcohol’s effect…or at least that’s what he told himself. His head was pounding mercilessly, his stomach wrenching and his heart…his heart was almost to Aydindril right now.

He bit his bottom lip, letting his teeth rake slowly over the flesh there. How had he allowed himself to fall so far so fast? How had he managed to lose everything that he had ever loved?

“It’s all I have left now,” he softly said, his words losing the heat that they had just held.

“Is that what you really think?”

Richard finally turned to face her, the bottle still gripped tightly in his hand that was beginning to tremble with the fierce storm of warring emotions raging within. “Kahlan is gone,” he bitterly replied. “She chose Tristan over me. All my children…my children…are gone…two of them dead because their father couldn’t prevent it from happening.

“The woman I love more than life itself betrayed me, engaged to another man before she’d even met me. She came to Caprice to save me and lost our baby and now I have nothing. I have nothing left to live for anymore, Nicci.”

With that, he turned away from her, but in that brief moment, she’d seen just a glimpse of his excruciating pain and it had been staggering to behold. She hoped to never see something so heartrending like that ever again in him.

“Who are you truly furious with, Richard?” she continued, not about to let it go now. “Is it really Kahlan that you blame for everything…or is it yourself?”

Richard swallowed hard, the mixture of alcohol as well as unshed tears burned deep in his throat making it even more difficult to breathe than it had been before. He knew the answer deep within himself and so did Nicci without him even having to respond to her.

He had never actually been angry with Kahlan. He had been devastated when she had lost the baby, but it hadn’t been her fault. It had all been Sangria’s doing. And when he’d found out about Tristan Kabay, he’d been crushed, but had never been truly furious with her.

No, his rage had laid deep within and only with himself for his failures. Unfortunately, instead of talking to Kahlan, instead of letting her in, he had pushed her so far away…driven her right into the arms of another man. When she had needed him the most, needed her husband to comfort her after the loss of their baby, he had turned his back on her, practically blaming her for everything that had happened and turning his back to her.

Kahlan deserved so much better than him, someone who wouldn’t fail her at every turn, someone who wouldn’t crush her like he had.

Richard finally turned to face her, his jaw rigid with the rage churning within. “She’s better off now with Tristan.”

Nicci scooted closer to him, reaching out and jerking the bottle from his hand. “Do you really believe that?” she angrily scowled. “The Richard I know would’ve fought for the woman he loved with everything he had, not just hand her over to another man and walk away as if she meant absolutely nothing at all to him.”

“Maybe that man is dead,” he coldly stated as he stared deep into her green eyes. “Maybe he no longer exists.”

Her breath caught in her throat as he suddenly reached out his hand towards her, hooking a lock of blond hair behind her ear as his hand lingered against her face. She felt a shiver tremble through her as he caressed her cheek, his face slowly drawing nearer…closer until his breath heavy with alcohol mingled with hers.

“Richard…” she whispered, gently shaking her head.

“I know you are in love with me, Nicci,” he told her with a smug smirk. “You think I can’t see the way you look at me sometimes, the flicker of sadness that fills your eyes when you see Kahlan with me?”

Nicci swallowed hard, fighting to keep her breaths even and her heart from hammering. This wasn’t right. No matter what had happened in Richard and Kahlan’s marriage, no matter how bad things were between them…this just wasn’t right.

“Don’t, Richard,” she softly warned him, but her voice didn’t hold much conviction.

“You don’t want me to stop, Nicci,” he murmured as his eyes roamed over her face before finally falling to her lips. “You’re so beautiful.”

“But you don’t love me, Richard,” she reminded him.

“No, but love is meaningless now,” he bitterly replied, his lips drawing nearer still. “I love Kahlan, but I still lost her. Maybe it’s better just to have than it is to love. Much less painful that way, isn’t it?”

“You don’t believe that and neither do I,” Nicci chided him, her hand falling against his chest to keep him at bay. The pressure she applied was anything but forceful. “And you definitely don’t want to do this.”

“Maybe I do,” he breathed, his lips lightly grazing hers. “Help me forget her, Nicci.”

Nicci squeezed her eyes closed, forcing back the heated desire that was humming within her from his close proximity. She had wanted him for so long, but not like this and not when he was in love with Kahlan. 

“Richard, you’re drunk,” she firmly said as she pushed him away, trying to ignore the way his soft kiss had made her lips tingle. What would it have been like if he had really kissed her the way she ached for him to? “You will regret this once you sober up. Don’t make it any worse.”

He stared at her for a long moment, a myriad of indecipherable emotions flitting so rapidly across his face. He finally sat back away from her, drawing his knees up and leaning forward to hold his head in hands. “I…I’m sorry, Nicci,” he muttered. “I…I just…”

“It’s alright, Richard,” she reassured him, tentatively reaching over and rubbing his back. “I just want to help you find your way, to regain your focus and control over your emotions again. Physical pleasure isn’t going to do that especially with someone you don’t love.”

“I don’t know what to do,” he admitted, finally looking up at her with tears in his eyes. “I don’t know how to find my way back.”

“I’ll help you, Richard…once you’ve sobered up.”

“Not one of my finer moments, was it?” he bitterly laughed, but there was no amusement in it, only self hatred.

“No, but you saw me at my worst when I banished Kahlan to the past and kidnapped you so I guess you could say we’re even now,” she smiled softly at him, trying to lighten the mood.

Richard smiled in return, still embarrassed by his actions. It was a small smile, one that never reached his chestnut eyes shining with so many unshed tears, but it was the most she’d seen in him in weeks besides anger.

He rubbed his forehead, wincing from the relentless throbbing pain in his head. “I feel like I’ve wrestled with a pack of gars and lost horribly,” he moaned.

“I must admit you look positively horrible,” she told him. 

He had at least a week’s worth of hair lining his jaw, his cheeks sunken in from not eating and his eyes were rimmed with red from lack of sleep as well as the fierce amount of alcohol that he’d consumed. The first thing she had to do was to get him sober and cleaned up.

Nicci stood to her feet, offering him her hand. “You can either sit here, wallow in your guilt and self-pity or you can come with me, get your life back and hopefully your wife,” she informed him. “The choice is yours…Lord Rahl.”

Richard stared at her offered hand for a moment, his gaze turning towards Michael’s headstone. He knew he couldn’t hold onto the past and what had happened, his perceived failures consuming him and devouring him from the inside out. He needed Kahlan, wanted his children back with him where they always belonged.

Turning his attention back to Nicci, he took her hand, struggling to his feet. “Thank you,” he softly said.

“It’s what friends are for,” she smiled at him, beyond thrilled to see a glimpse of their old Richard again. “You taught me that.”

Richard slowly nodded his head before turning towards Michael’s grave. He walked over, picking up the pieces of broken glass, pausing to gentle run his fingers along the top of the headstone before turning to follow her inside. He knew he had a long painful journey ahead of him, but it was one that would hopefully lead him back to Kahlan and the forgiveness he knew he didn’t deserve.

XXX

Cyrus settled into his usual chair in the dimly lit room in the back of the Brass Star Tavern, the others silently taking their seats as well. To say that the atmosphere was grim and tinged with fear would have been an understatement.

Taking in the bleak expressions of those surrounding him, he had to admit that he shared their sentiments about what they had just learned earlier today. It was beyond disheartening to learn of the Mother Confessor’s imminent arrival.

They needed to form a plan immediately, a way of dealing with this unexpected news. Her arrival couldn’t have come at a worst time. They were almost prepared to put their plan into action, to take Aydindril back and under the new Alliance’s command, but Kahlan Rahl’s presence would completely thwart that strategy.

Cyrus’s attention was captured when Trevor Bail moved to stand at the head of the meeting table. Everyone kept their black cloaks wrapped protectively around them as if to defend themselves against the opposition about to come tomorrow, to ward off any bad omens. Their hoods remained up, but pushed back just enough to allow their faces to show in the dim flickering candlelight.

Trevor pushed back the hood of his cloak, his eyes gleaming with an unusual brightness despite the muted lighting. It was almost eerie. A confident smile spread across his narrow face, one that didn’t seem to fit the direness of the situation that they now found themselves in, but still seemed to infect everyone with a small measure of calmness.

It was as if everyone drew a collective sigh of relief as Trevor met each one of their panicked stares, silently willingly them to calm and infusing them with the confidence that no one at that moment felt. It was something that only Trevor seemed capable of doing at that moment.

“As you are all well aware,” Trevor began. “The Mother Confessor Kahlan Rahl is on her way to Aydindril and should be arriving here sometime tomorrow afternoon.”

No seemed to even breathe as he spoke now, each one holding in the air that they needed and yet denying themselves the luxury for fear it would alert someone to their treasonous plot to overthrow the Lord Rahl’s rule. No one got up to leave, either, removing themselves from the repercussions that awaited them if they were discovered. 

They were in this together now for better or for worse.

“We will not back down, but continue as planned regardless of Kahlan Rahl’s presence in Aydindril,” he firmly informed them. “I have sent word to Kao, letting him know of the situation. Once I receive word from him, I will call another meeting to apprise everyone of his response.

“Until that time, we will carry on with our plans. Aydindril will be ours again to rule through the Council as we see fit.”

“And what will we do about Kahlan Rahl?” Linus Bertram suddenly spoke up from beside Cyrus.

Cyrus could practically feel the panic rolling off of the man sitting to his left. Linus was a rabid worrier in the best of times. Adding something like the Mother Confessor’s unexpected arrival to Aydindril on top of their treason was enough to put the poor man in his grave.

“I will personally deal with Kahlan Rahl myself if it comes down to it,” Trevor informed them with a grin that sent an icy chill through Cyrus. 

There was something that seemed a little different about Trevor, a new…tenacity…about him. There was definitely something off in him. He seemed almost pleased that the Mother Confessor was on her way here as though he’d planned for a confrontation with her along.

It made Cyrus begin to wonder if more wasn’t going on then the members here knew about.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 7

Kahlan felt a sense of calming relief slowly sweep over her as they finally entered Aydindril, a sad smile touching her lips. She was finally home and yet at the same time it wasn’t really her home anymore. Her true home would always be with Richard no matter what happened between them, no matter where their duties took them.

The last time she had entered her home town like this had been with Richard at her side, bringing him here to marry him after they had defeated the Keeper. It had been one of the happiest times of her life, sharing the city she loved with the man that owned her heart.

She felt her throat tighten with the thought of her husband, overwhelming guilt welling up in her chest as she remembered the kiss that she’d shared with Tristan yesterday. She knew she should have pushed him away, stopped him from kissing her, but she hadn’t. 

She’d completely frozen at the feel of his lips against hers, had almost wanted to draw him closer, anxious to feel so much more. She had desperately needed that sweet comfort and reassurance so badly at that moment, ached inside for it to have been Richard instead of Tristan. 

She craved the touch of her husband, the passion behind his kisses, the love that seemed to scorch her soul every time he looked at her with those dark brown eyes. She longed for the heat behind his sensual touch against her skin, to experience that intimate demonstration of their love for one another that their children had been born out of.

She drew a deep breath, steeling herself against the onslaught of pain that was rending her heart in two. She was the Mother Confessor, the Lady Rahl of D’Hara and she had a job to do, duties that sat square on her shoulders alone. Her own personal problems would have to wait until after Aydindril had been taken care of.

Once things had been settled here, she was going to return to the People’s Palace and fight for her marriage with everything she had, repair the damage that she had done and make Richard see that their love was something worth fighting for.

Kahlan held her head high as she entered her beloved city flanked by the prestigious soldiers of the First File that Garren and Holland had sent with her, fierce battle-tested soldiers bent on protecting the Lady Rahl at all cost. They maneuvered around her, keeping onlookers at bay and creating a wide berth for her to move through the crowded city.

Following close behind, Tristan watched with great pride as people bowed their heads in respect for the Mother Confessor and Lady Rahl of the D’Haran Empire. She deserved all of the adulation so was receiving and so very much more.

He couldn’t help but be completely mesmerized by her, watching her every move as the afternoon sunlight made her raven hair seem like the finest spun silk, casting a radiant light on her beauty. She exuded such nobility and grace that she couldn’t help but command every single person’s attention.

He felt his heart begin to flutter once more with the love that continually permeated it, knowing there would never be another who could ever possess it quite like she did. She was truly amazing in every single way and if Richard Rahl wasn’t going to do everything in his power to keep her then he would be more than happy to make her his.

He just hoped that Kahlan would give him a chance to prove himself to her, allow her heart to open up to him even just a little bit. He knew she was hurting and vulnerable right now, but he wanted her to see that he would never treat her like Richard had been treating her.

He would take care of her, showing her all the respect and love that she deserved, treasuring her above all else. He would spend every day of his life making sure that she was happy, would care for her children as if there were his very own, hopefully one day having a child of his own with her.

While a part of him was angry with Richard for hurting Kahlan, he couldn’t quite hold it against him. He knew that Richard and Kahlan had gone through some very horrible tragedies recently, enduring atrocities that he couldn’t even begin to fathom. He’d learned of many of these things from the rumors that flowed like mighty tributaries throughout the People’s Palace.

In a way, he felt sorry for Richard, understood how he was struggling right now after all that had happened to him, everything that he’d been through. At the same time, he couldn’t just stand by and watch Kahlan fall apart without trying to do something to help her.

He would do his best to be her friend and if something more came from it then he would be beyond thrilled. He’d never truly let her go after she’d married the Seeker and this was his chance to get her back. He wasn’t going to lose her again.

Kahlan dismounted her horse before the Confessor’s Palace to find Edmund standing on the front steps waiting for her much like he had when she’d returned after helping Richard defeat the Keeper. She wished so much it was Richard here with her now instead of Tristan.

Tears instantly stung her eyes as she drew near to the man who had been like her father when she hadn’t had one, pulling him into a warm embrace. “Edmund, it’s so good to see you,” she murmured. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“Mother Confessor,” Edmund formally greeted her, his eyes misting with tears as well as he returned her embrace. “I’m so happy to see you too. This is such a wonderful surprise. I had no idea that you were coming.”

“I know and I’m sorry about that,” she apologized. “It was more of a spur of the moment idea to come.”

Edmund pulled back, keeping a firm hold on her as he studied her, sensing that something was definitely amiss. “What happened, Kahlan?” he gently asked. “I can see it in your eyes that something is wrong. Where’s Richard?”

Kahlan swallowed past the painful knot of unshed tears wedged in her throat before finally responding. “He’s still at the People’s Palace,” she told him, wiping the tears from her eyes. “There is so much to discuss, but I’m very anxious for you and Aggie to meet my children.”

“I would love nothing more,” Edmund beamed with pride. “Come, let’s get you all settled into your quarters. I’m sure you’re more than exhausted after your long journey.”

“Kahlan!”

The Mother Confessor turned to see Aggie coming out to meet her, her stocky form carrying as fast as she could go. She was quickly enveloped in the woman’s motherly embrace, renewing the tears that she had just been able to banish. She felt a sense of peace briefly wash through her, temporarily easing the immense sorrow that had become her constant companion.

Aggie pulled back, a frown immediately forming on her lips. “You are much too thin, Kahlan,” Aggie scolded her. “You aren’t eating again, are you?”

“I’m fine, Aggie,” the Mother Confessor tried to reassure her, forcing a smile to her lips.

“No, she’s not, Aggie,” Tristan Kabay firmly interjected as he came to stand beside Kahlan, Mistress Rachel following close behind him. “She needs some of your good cooking to put some meat on her bones.”

Aggie and Edmund looked from Tristan to Kahlan and back again, both stunned by the King’s appearance. Noticing the faint blush that rose to the Mother Confessor’s cheeks, Aggie quickly responded. “Tristan,” Aggie greeted him. “Are you the reason Kahlan has returned?”

“You could say that,” Tristan evasively replied with a nod of his head.

“I wondered where you had disappeared to,” Aggie smiled at the handsome young man. “Well, I’m glad he brought you back for a visit, Kahlan. It’s been much too long.”

“I know,” Kahlan agreed. “I’m sorry about that. I’ve been meaning to return ever since Aiden’s birth, but things just seemed to keep coming up that required my attention. Things have finally settled enough that I could return to Aydindril for a little while.”

Tristan inwardly winced with Kahlan’s words, knowing that she was putting what she and Richard had just been through the last several weeks mildly. She had been through more in recent weeks than most people had to endure in a lifetime and yet she played it all off as nothing.

Just then, Frederick and Katrina came up the steps with Kahlan’s children in tow, taking the unwanted focus off of her. Kahlan kneeled down, waving for Paige and Priya to come to her. They quickly released their grandfather’s hands before toddling towards their mother.

“This is Paige and Priya,” Kahlan proudly introduced. 

Edmond and Aggie both kneeled down as well to meet the future heirs of the D’Haran Empire, smiles lighting their faces that matched the Mother Confessor’s. “Kahlan, they’re positively beautiful!” Aggie exclaimed, reaching out to run her fingers through Priya chestnut curls.

Priya began to jabber something completely incomprehensible, her bright blue eyes shining dancing as she spoke. Aggie couldn’t contain the laughter that bubbled up, completely infatuated with the twin girls who reminded her so much of Kahlan.

“Aren’t you wearing a very pretty dress?” Edmund told Paige, receiving an equally exuberant response as her sister’s.

Kahlan took Aiden from Katrina, holding him up to meet her surrogate parents. “And this is Aiden,” she introduced, kissing her son’s cheek.

“Isn’t he adorable?” Aggie just beamed as she reached out and took the baby into her arms. “I swear he looks just like Richard.”

Kahlan bit her bottom lip to stifle the sob that rose up out of nowhere with Aggie’s words. “Yes…he does,” she murmured, reaching out to caress his brown hair that was so much like Priya’s.

Aggie immediately noticed the flash of pain that sprang to Kahlan’s eyes, knowing something was definitely wrong. “Come, let’s go inside and get you settled,” she suggested. “I’m sure you’d like to rest and get cleaned up before dinner.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Kahlan agreed, following Aggie and Edmond inside.

XXX

Richard stood in his office with his hands clasped behind his back as he stared out the window, his heart stuck in his throat and his thoughts in Aydindril. His mind was awash with the events of the last few weeks, wondering when exactly he had lost his footing causing him to free fall into the dark abyss he now found himself in. 

He didn’t think he’d ever felt more lost or alone in his entire life, not even when he had been captured by Denna and had lost all hope of ever gaining his freedom. He’d been able to survive that horrifying time being trained by the Mord’Sith because he had been able to cling to his love for Kahlan with all that he’d had in him.

Now, he didn’t know if he even had that anymore. He knew that he loved Kahlan more than anything in this world; every breath he drew and beat his heart was solely for her. He just didn’t know if Kahlan still felt anything for him anymore after the pain he had caused her.

What was the exact point where something had suddenly snapped inside of him that caused him to lose his way as well as his family? How had he lost sight of what he loved most in this life, allowing it all to just walk away?

His eyes fell closed with the image of kissing Nicci out in the garden yesterday, guilt like a bitter vile thing in his gut reminding him of how truly far he had fallen away from the person he used to be.

He had betrayed the woman he loved more than life itself, hurting even more than he already had. What kind of a monster had he become?

He didn’t deserve the title of Seeker of Truth or Lord Rahl of D’Hara. Even more painful than that, he didn’t deserve to be called Kahlan’s husband. In losing his way, he had also lost that right after pushing her away and into the arms of another man whom he was certain was more than happy to have her back with him.

Richard knew he needed to fix this as soon as possible, regain control of his emotions once more so he could hopefully win back Kahlan’s love again. First, though, he would need to earn her forgiveness. He had a very long, very difficult road ahead of him.

A sudden rap at the door captured his attention. “Come in,” he called without turning around to see who it was.

“Richard,” Nicci said as she entered his office. “I wanted to check on you, see if you were ready to start your training today. How are you feeling?”

“Foolish…embarrassed,” he softly said, wincing with the throbbing pain in his head and in his heart. “Hung over.”

Nicci made her way to him, her hand finding his shoulder. He could feel gentle tendrils of magic begin to seep into his body, winding through him and repairing some of the damage that he had done to himself yesterday in the garden. His pounding headache was soon erased, the effects of too much alcohol disappearing as well.

“There,” she murmured. “How’s that?”

“Better,” he replied without turning towards her, too ashamed to even look her in the eye. “Thank you.”

Nicci studied him for a moment, more than pleased to see that he’d actually shaved this morning. His cheeks were still sunken, dark circles still shadows under his eyes, but at least they were making a little progress.

“Richard…” Nicci began, her hand lingering on his arm.

“Nicci, I’m so sorry about yesterday,” he suddenly interrupted her. “If I could take it all back I would in a heartbeat.”

“Richard, you have nothing to apologize for,” Nicci shook her head, pursing her lips. “You were drunk.”

“That’s no excuse,” he murmured as his chin fell to his chest.

She could feel the extent of his guilt mingled with his heartache rolling off of him. She wanted so badly to take away his pain and erase the gaping wounds of hurt and anger that marred his heart, keeping him from finding his way, from finally healing.

Before she could say anything, he spoke again. “I was just so desperate for something…anything that would take away the pain inside if only for a little while,” he admitted, his voice cracking, choked with so many unshed tears of regret. “I just want this pain to end. I can’t take it another day, Nicci. I just miss her so much.”

“Richard, I understand,” she gently reassured him, squeezing his arm in unspoken comfort and support. “I’ve been there, have been much lower than even you feel you are right now. I’ve been to the point where I didn’t care if I lived or died, didn’t care what anyone did to me because I felt so dead inside, but you were the one who showed me I had so much more to live for, helped me believe in life again. You made me see that I was worth more than I had allowed myself to believe.

“Now, it’s my turn to help you believe again, believe in yourself because you, Richard, are worth far more than you are allowing yourself to believe.”

Richard finally turned sad eyes to the sorceress, the true depths of his gut-wrenching pain swimming there for her to bear witness to. “I’ve failed in so many ways, failed so many people...most of all Kahlan,” he sadly shook his head. “I don’t even know who I am anymore to begin to fix it.”

Nicci placed her hand against his chest right over his heart. “In here…in here, you do know,” she reassured him. “You just need to be reminded, to get past the hurt and rage that are keeping you from finding what you’ve been missing.”

“I don’t know how to fix any of this,” he said, turning his attention back to the garden spreading out before him. “Where do I even begin to repair it all?”

“First, we start with you and then we’ll be able to work on getting Kahlan back,” she told him. “Come with me.”

Nicci took him by the hand and led him around his desk to sit on the floor across from her. She motioned for him to raise his hands, placing his palms against hers. “Now, try to clear your mind,” she instructed him, keeping her voice calm and even.

Richard shot her a look that told her that he thought she was crazy for even saying something so impossible. “Are you serious?”

Nicci bit back a smile at his incredulous expression, the incredulous tone of his voice. It was the closest he’d come to showing the least bit of amusement in weeks. “Just try,” she patiently encouraged him.

Richard released a frustrated breath, fighting to control his anger. “You realize I’ve barely eaten or slept since Kahlan choose to leave me, right?”

“I know, but you have to try, Richard,” she insisted. “Do you want Kahlan back?”

“You know I do,” he angrily snapped, a scowl on his lips. “I want that more than anything in this world.”

“Then clear your mind and focus,” she firmly stated, keeping her hands held up before her. “If you don’t, I’ll let Cara have you.”

Richard visibly shuddered as he quickly held his hands up in front of him again. “She’s been avoiding me,” he softly said, obviously saddened by it. “I know she’s angry with me.”

“Actually angry is putting it quite mildly and she’s avoiding you because she’s afraid she’s going to end up hurting you,” she informed him.

“She’s not the only one furious with me,” Richard frowned. “I’ve let everyone down.”

“Stop it right now, Richard Rahl!” Nicci snapped, her green eyes flashing with anger. “Yes, you’ve lost your way and people are hurt by it, but it’s only because we all want to help you. We all know you’ve been through one nightmare after another the last several weeks. We’re all very worried about you, but it’s time to drop the self-pity and work on repairing things.”

“I know and I appreciate you help,” he sincerely said with a heavy sigh. “I just want to put all of this behind me and move on.”

“Then let’s get to work,” she smirked at him, pressing the palms of her hands against his. “Now, clear your mind and focus like we’ve practiced.”

Richard closed his eyes, doing his best to force aside the ache that was devouring him on the inside, pushing away his fears about Tristan taking Kahlan from him. He tried to bury his guilt from Michael’s death and the terrible grief from the baby Kahlan had lost. 

He forced himself to breathe deeply, evenly as he focused on touching his Han. He knew beyond all doubt that he needed to do this not only for himself but for Kahlan. She deserved the man that she had fallen in love with and married, definitely not some empty shell of the man that she had met that day in the Hartland Woods.

He would not give Kahlan up without a fight, would not just sit back and let her find love in the arms of another. The thought caused hot jealousy to flare deep inside, but he quickly tamped down on it knowing it would only keep him from finding the answers he so desperately needed.

Richard forced himself to remember his wife, the smile that lit his world and the sapphire eyes that lit his heart. He dwelt on the sound of her voice, her intoxicating scent that made his very soul sing. He recounted her passionate kisses, the heated love that they had made.

Kahlan was his beacon of light in the darkness that now consumed him and he would use that same brilliant light to guide him back to her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 8

Zedd thumbed his way through another book, his anxiety growing the longer he went without finding what he so desperately needed to find. He cursed under his breath, slamming the book closed and shoving it aside with an annoyed huff.

He was getting absolutely nowhere fast and he deathly feared that time was rapidly running out to avert the beginning of the prophecy from coming true. The part about the bonded gifted being broken kept replaying over and over again in his head, taunting him with the horror that could plague his family. Right now, the bonded gifted was definitely on the verge of being broken and it scared him to no end.

He knew that every marriage had their rough patches; times when things didn’t always go very well. It was how the couple responded to the tests that told the story of how the marriage would fair and unfortunately Richard wasn’t reacting very well right now.

Nicci had told him about the talk that she’d had with Richard in the garden yesterday afternoon. She had been a little vague and not very forthcoming on some of the details, making him wonder what exactly had happened to bring about the sudden change in his thinking, but he guessed it didn’t really matter. The results, though, had been a positive sign that things were hopefully beginning to turn around.

With a weary sigh, Zedd grabbed another book, a sense of defeat weighing heavily on his weary shoulders. He was beginning to think that maybe he had dreamed the whole prophecy up. He wished more than anything that were truly the case, but he knew he hadn’t dreamed it.

Richard and Kahlan…their children were in great danger, more than they could begin to imagine.

Zedd leapt to his feet, slamming books and thrusting others aside. A couple of sets of heavy scrolls rolled off the table and landed on the floor with a soft thud, but the Wizard barely registered it until a pair of delicate hands suddenly placed them back on the table for him.

Stunned, he turned to find Sister Nicci standing beside the table. “Nicci, my dear,” he greeted her, plopping down into his chair with a huff as he pulled another book in front of him. “How did it go with Richard this morning?”

“I went alright, but it’s going to take a great deal of time I’m afraid,” she admitted as she settled into a chair as well. “I’ve never seen him filled with so much hurt and anger before, not even after Michael died. It was quite painful trying to delve past all of the layers of self-loathing, rage, and heartache that are consuming him right now. It’s like it’s eating him alive, keeping him from seeing the truth.”

Zedd sadly shook his head, his eyes beginning to mist with tears. “It breaks my heart to see Richard and Kahlan suffering so much. I don’t know how much more they can possibly withstand. I fear that all of this may truly break them this time.”

Nicci quickly reached over, taking his weathered hand in both of hers, her thumb caressing the back of it. “Now, Zedd,” she gently scolded him. “Don’t you dare start giving up hope on them now. We’re going to get them through this one way or another. You yourself have said that you’ve never seen a love more powerful and timeless than what Richard and Kahlan share. They will survive this. We just need to help put Richard back together and get him to go after Kahlan in Aydindril.”

“You make it sound far easier than it truly is going to be,” Zedd snorted, folding his arms against his chest.

“I never said it was going to be easy,” Nicci shook her head. “I only said it’s what we need to do.”

“Nothing is ever easy,” Zedd groused. “Was Richard able to touch his Han at all?” 

“For a brief moment,” Nicci replied, pursing her lips as she thought back on the shared experience with the Seeker. “It helped to momentarily focus him, point him in the right direction. I felt a flickering sense of peace in him for a short time that I don’t believe he’s felt in quite some time. It nearly took his breath away.”

“Maybe now Richard can get some much needed sleep,” Zedd frowned, rubbing his chin in thought. “I’m very worried about that boy. I’ve never seen him look so terrible in all my years.”

“I think that could go a long way in helping him get things straightened out in his head, help him to see things more clearly.”

“I agree,” Zedd nodded his head. “His perception of everything is so tainted and warped right now because he’s allowed his anger and pain to take control of him. Lack of sleep has only made everything including Kahlan’s absence that much worse.”

“It would really help if she were here,” Nicci sighed, her slender fingers lightly tracing the edge of one of the numerous books lying on the table before her. “Don’t get me wrong; I totally agree and support Kahlan’s decision to return to Aydindril, the need to bring peace and reassurance if there is truly unrest there. 

“Unfortunately, Richard doesn’t see it that way. He feels that he has pushed her away, confirming his insecurities. He thinks that he has lost her, that Kahlan picked Tristan over him.”

“I have to agree that it was definitely not the best time for something like this to happen, but it’s certainly not Kahlan’s fault for going to Aydindril,” Zedd grimly said. 

“Richard needs Kahlan now more than ever. Her distance has only made things worse, cemented his fears that he’s not good enough for her. He feels he’s lost her…is lost without her.”

“He can’t give up now,” Zedd scowled. “It will only prove the prophecy right.”

“Richard and Kahlan are far from broken, Zedd” Nicci exclaimed, her frustration mounting. “They are just having a difficult time right now. Every couple goes through it.”

“I know, dear one…I know,” Zedd reached over and patted her hand affectionately. “I’m just allowing my fears to get the better of me.”

“Hasn’t Richard already proven that to be a bad thing to do?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “We don’t need you losing your way too.”

“Well, if Richard is beginning to do a little better then he’ll finally be safe from Cara again,” Zedd chuckled softly.

“I fear that he won’t be safe from her until he’s on his way to Aydindril to get Kahlan back.”

XXX

Richard made his way to Cara and Garren’s suite, knowing that Cara would be there feeding Caiden. Everything inside of him was dreading this confrontation, but he knew that he couldn’t put this off any longer. If he wanted to fix everything in his life, he needed to start with his friends since his wife was no longer here.

If he was ever going to win Kahlan back, he needed to start here at home. He needed to get his anger under control.

He came to a stop before their suite door, pausing to draw a deep breath and slowly releasing it as he tried to sort through what he wanted to say to her. He steeled himself as he finally found the nerve to raise his fist to the wood staring back at him, rapping sharply before he could change his mind.

He heard a hollered “come in” that caused the corners of his mouth to curl slightly. He reached for the door handle, his fingers brushing the brass before finally gripping it and turning it. The door opened silently on its hinges as he entered. He was immediately greeted by the sound of Cara making cooing noises to her baby. He knew there was no going back now.

It brought a small smile to his lips as he made his way towards the nursery. He swallowed hard as he drew near, the sound of Cara singing softly tickling his ears and warming his heart in an unexpected way. He paused in the doorway, silently watching her as she rocked her son.

An unwelcomed well of tears suddenly caused his throat to constrict so painfully that it nearly took his breath away. Spirits, he missed his son…his daughters so much that it nearly buckled his knees, missed Kahlan so much he could barely put one foot in front of the other. It took everything he had to even will himself to get out of bed each morning.

Cara suddenly looked up to find her Lord Rahl standing there, a distant look on his face and anguish swimming in his brown eyes. She didn’t know what surprised her more – his unexpected presence or the pain that was visibly written on his face.

“Hi,” Richard finally said after several long moments, the tension in the air suddenly thick and suffocating.

“Hi,” Cara softly replied, turning her attention back to her son.

“Garren told me you’d be here feeding Caiden,” Richard ventured, wondering what exactly was running through the Mord’Sith’s mind at that moment as he stood there feeling so awkward. 

Her thoughts and feelings were usually very apparent in her expression or the flippant stinging remarks she was so notorious for. Right now, though, she was practically unreadable as she continued to rock her son to sleep. He was preparing himself for the furious tirade that he expected to come, knew that he deserved it. What came next, though, nearly knocked him off of his feet.

“You look dreadful,” she bluntly said, getting to her feet and unexpectedly handing her sleeping son over to him.

Richard tentatively took the small bundle into his arms, his heart constricting painfully in his chest as he gazed at the beautiful little boy. He swallowed hard, forcing down the sob that suddenly lodged in his throat. He reminded him so much of Aiden, missed holding his son and watching him as he slept. It felt like an eternity since he’d last been able to do that.

Cara watched him holding her son for a long moment before finally speaking again. “Why are you here?”

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he softly replied, looking up into the green eyes of his friend, eyes that didn’t hold the resentment and anger that he had thought would be there…so very deserved. It would almost make him feel better if she would get angry with him, yell at him and tell him what a fool he was being.

“It was for your own safety,” she told him as she picked up Caiden’s favorite blanket from the floor by the rocking chair, folding it.

Richard chuckled. It was an almost bitter sound, one that made her take paused as she turned back to face him again. “You should have just gotten it over with days ago,” he said, lightly bouncing the baby in his arms. “Maybe it would’ve helped me get my head on straight a lot sooner than this.”

“Who says you still don’t deserve it?” she quirked a blond eyebrow at him.

“Cara, I know I screwed things up…” he began.

“That’s putting it mildly,” she snapped, placing Caiden’s blanket over the edge of the bassinet.

Richard drew a deep breath, forcing himself to make eye contact with the Mord’Sith before him, the woman he called one of his closest friends. “I know,” he softly said. “I’ve ruined everything…pushed everyone away including my Kahlan, but I’m trying to make it right again. That’s why I’m here, Cara. I want to ask for your forgiveness, to tell you how sorry I am for the way I’ve handled everything lately.”

“Thank you, but I don’t believe I’m the one who you need to apologize to,” Cara told him, her voice a little gentler this time. “You really hurt Kahlan. It wasn’t her fault that she lost the baby.”

Tears suddenly stung his eyes, his bottom lip beginning to tremble with the hot wave of heartache that nearly rent him in two. “I know,” he managed to choke out. “I’m terrified that I’ve really lost her, Cara.”

She watched as he looked down at Caiden, gazing at the baby in his arms and no doubt thinking of his own son. She slowly made her way to him, taking her baby into her arms. She kissed Caiden on the forehead before placing him in his bassinet, covering him with his blanket.

Turning back towards Richard, Cara paused before him once more, her hand falling to his arm. “Kahlan loves you, Richard,” she reassured him. “No matter what, she will always love you. You won her heart long before you met me and nothing is going to change that.”

Richard shook his head as he walked over to the window, his eyes falling on the picturesque scene before him. “She picked Tristan and Aydindril over me, Cara. I can hardly blame her after everything I’ve put her through. I ignored her, pushed her away and kept her at arm’s length; I turned my anger and sense of failure on her and blamed her for losing our unborn baby…I…”

“Yes, you did, but now it’s time to get off your ass and do something about it,” Cara firmly stated in that way that was so Cara, her voice suddenly hard. “Wallowing in what you did or didn’t do…what you should or shouldn’t have done won’t help you anymore. All you can do now is go to Aydindril and win Kahlan back.”

“You’re right,” he sighed heavily, ignoring the way that her words stung. “What if she doesn’t want me? What if she’s already chosen Tristan over me?”

“You won’t know unless you try,” Cara insisted. “And the Richard that I know…the one that I still believe in would never give up especially on Kahlan. You fought so hard for her, showed her that your love was enough to conquer her magic and now you’re ready to just let her slip right through your fingers as if she meant nothing to you?”

“No, I’m not going to lose the woman I love,” Richard finally bit out, the fire finally returning to his voice. “I’m leaving for Aydindril tomorrow and I’m going to get Kahlan back.”

The decisive edge to his voice put a smile on the Mord’Sith’s face. It was the most he had sounded like himself in more weeks than she could begin to count. It brought a great sense of relief to see a glimpse of her Lord Rahl back again.

XXX

Kahlan slowly made her way around the Mother Confessor’s suite, pausing here and there to run her fingers lightly over her desk or the armoire that held her clothes again. She made her way to the bathroom, memories of making love in here with Richard assaulting her all over again.

She bit her bottom lip as she quickly exited, making her way back towards her bedchambers, her sad gaze falling on the bed that she had first given herself to Richard on. She suddenly felt herself flush with the arousal that her thoughts were awakening in her mind, remembering the intensity of his passion for her as they made love to one another.

She had never known anything like it before, had never truly understood that love could be so incredibly powerful, so passionate and intimate. She’d never dreamed that two people, that a man and a woman, could truly become one in every single way imaginable until Richard.

Yes, they were one physically and it was beyond magical, but they were one on so many other levels as well – heart, body, mind, and soul. Forever linked and intertwined, never to be broken or severed, not knowing where one ended and the other began.

He was forever a part of her, a powerful invisible cord that connected them no matter the distance or the painful rift that had suddenly developed between them. He was forever in her heart, her soul complete because of him.

Kahlan quickly turned away from the bed with a sharp shuddering gasp of grief, folding her arms and pressing them tightly against her abdomen as if trying to hold herself together. She made her way to the double glass doors, walking out onto the balcony.

She closed her eyes as she drew a deep breath, breathing in the fresh spring air. She felt the ends of her hair lifting in the breeze, the feel of the wind against her face helping to dry the remnant of unwanted tears that still clung to her eyelashes.

She pictured Richard here with her now, his masculine scent filling her senses and stirring her need for her husband all over again. She swore if she tried hard enough she could actually imagine him coming up behind her, his strong arms wrapping around her waist as his chin settled on her shoulder, his nose brushing her hair aside in order to find her earlobe like he always used to love to do.

She felt the corners of her lips curl with the image in her mind, her arms pressing harder against her abdomen. Her heart began to beat a little harder as she began to lose herself in the fantasy she was creating in her mind in order to escape the pain inside if but for only a moment.

She pictured his hands roaming over her body as he nibbled on her earlobe, slowing driving her wild just like he knew how to do. He always knew what caused a slow building smolder inside of her and what created a searing fire straight through to her very core.

Richard knew her better than she even knew herself sometimes, seemed to instinctively know the exact places to touch her or kiss her that made her shiver with a hunger so fierce, so desperate she thought she might burst if he didn’t sate her need soon.

Kahlan sighed at the sudden feel of arms snaking slowly around her waist from behind, the feel of a muscular body pressing against her back. She tipped her head back to lean against his shoulder, thoughts and images of Richard consuming her body and soul. 

She didn’t pull away as a nose nuzzled into her hair, breathing deeply or push away the one who murmured her name with such undying love it made her heart soar. She didn’t stop the large hands wrapping around her arms, tugging on them to trap them at her sides so he could caress her abdomen. She couldn’t fight the soft moan that suddenly spilled from her lips as a hand snuck up her body to gently trace along the slender length of her throat.

“Kahlan,” Tristan murmured, finally finding her earlobe. “Please…just let me love you.”

Kahlan suddenly stiffened as realization slammed hard into her. She quickly pulled away, turning swiftly on her heel to find herself face to face with Tristan. Her hand went to cover her mouth in shame, her other hand on her heart in an attempt to keep the pounding arousal at bay but it was futile.

What had she done? What had she just allowed to happen?

“Tristan…please…” Kahlan breathed heavily, her eyes filled with anger as well as confusion. “I love Richard.”

“Kahlan, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that, but please just give me a chance,” Tristan softly pleaded with her, taking a step towards her. “That’s all I’m asking for is a chance.”

“Is that why you brought me back to Aydindril? To get me away from Richard so you could try to force me into loving you instead?” she demanded to know, her anger rising and heating her voice.

“No, Kahlan…please don’t think that,” Tristan quickly replied, his desperation growing. “There is unrest brewing here in Aydindril, trouble that I believe that only you as the Mother Confessor can fix. It is the only reason I asked you to come back here…I swear.”

“I want to believe you, Tristan, but when you keep trying to kiss me you make it very hard to trust you.”

“Kahlan, when I came to D’Hara to see you I didn’t even know you and Richard were having any trouble,” he told her, moving closer to her. “I came to bring you back here to save the city we both love. When I found out that your marriage was in trouble, I felt terrible for you, wanted to fix it for you.   
“Do you have any idea how difficult it is to see you so hurt and upset and not be able to do anything to make it better for you? I only want you to let me love you, Kahlan...to take care of you the way that you deserve.”

“Tristan, I’m married to Richard,” she insisted, her hands fisted at her sides. “I appreciate you being here for me, but only as a friend.”

“Have you never felt anything for me?” he asked, his voice revealing how broken he was inside with her words.

“Maybe…at one time…yes,” Kahlan finally admitted, her anger beginning to falter. “I was flattered that you were willing to be confessed to me as my mate, that you thought I was beautiful. Most people feared me and didn’t want to be near me, but not you. You were so handsome and never feared me, but that was in the past. I love Richard, Tristan.”

“Do you, Kahlan?” he demanded to know, moving forward and grabbing hold of her arms. “After everything that Richard’s put you through, can you honestly say that you still love him?”

Kahlan stared at him for a long moment, her heart still hammering wildly in her chest. Was the way she had felt when he had first touched her been because she had been thinking about Richard or because she had somehow known that it was Tristan touching her?

She suddenly felt so very confused, off-balanced. She didn’t know what to think now, her world feeling as though it was spinning so wildly out of control. “I…I love Richard,” she told him.

Tristan shook his head as his piercing blue eyes bore into her, a spark of hope filling his gaze. “You don’t sound very convincing, Kahlan.”

She didn’t move as his hand came to rest against her face, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. “Just give me a chance to show you how much I love you, Kahlan,” he murmured, leaning in to softly kiss her. “Please…don’t leave again.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 9

“I found it!” Zedd suddenly cried with great excitement, causing Sister Nicci to look up from the book she was reading. “Finally! I was beginning to think I had dreamed the damn thing up.”

“What does it say?” Nicci asked, getting up out of her seat to look over the Wizard’s shoulder.

“It says ‘A powerful storm will blow in from the north, descending like an unforeseen plague to destroy the bonded gifted. Once the bonded gifted are finally broken, the twins dually blessed with magic will forever split, one to the left and one to the right, marking the end of time.’”

Zedd sank back in his chair in utter shock as his mind attempted to process what he had just read, feeling as though the wind had just been sucked from his lungs. This was far worse than he had originally remembered it being.

“Zedd, this isn’t good at all,” she murmured, straightening up and crossing her arms. “If this prophecy continues to progress, it could be irreversible.”

“I know,” he sighed heavily, his fingers subtly rubbing the pages before him as his mind took him to places he didn’t want to go. “Things are worse than I had originally believed. I had forgotten that first part about a powerful storm.”

“What if the powerful storm descending like an unforeseen plague is alluding to the trouble brewing in Aydindril? That would definitely be the northern part of the D’Haran Empire.”

“That was my thought exactly,” he mumbled, still deep in thought about what he’d read. “We need to tell Richard right away.”

“Tell Richard what?”

Both Nicci and Zedd immediately looked up to see the Seeker entering the library, a confused expression on his face. Nicci placed an encouraging hand on Zedd’s shoulder, silently giving him the support he needed to break the news to his grandson about this newest prophecy. She just hoped that this didn’t send him spiraling back down the path they were fighting to drag him away from.

“Zedd, what’s going on?” Richard asked, his eyes swiftly growing hard with fear.

“Richard, you need to sit down,” Zedd carefully told him, hoping this didn’t push his grandson right over the edge once and for all. 

Richard had been teetering so dangerously close to that precipice for weeks now and he feared this might be the final blow. If that happened, there might be no saving his any of his family from the dark prophecy.

“I don’t want to sit down, Zedd,” Richard tightly replied, his jaw set with growing panic. “Just tell me what’s going on. Is it Kahlan? Have you heard from her?”

Zedd drew a deep breath before finally responding. “I’ve been working on finding a prophecy that I had stumbled upon about a year ago that I had forgotten about. Recent events reminded me of it again.”

“You know I don’t believe in prophecy, Zedd,” he bit out, his hands curling into tight fists.

“I know, Richard, but you need to listen to this,” Nicci told him, her tone leaving no room for argument. “It not only involves you and Kahlan, but your twin daughters as well.”

“What about them?” he demanded to know, looking from Zedd to Nicci and back again with a raptor gaze that could have melted ice.

Picking up the book again, Zedd read aloud the prophecy that he had found, fearing his grandson’s reaction as he finally finished and looked up at him. The rage blazing in his brown eyes was intense, the fear unmistakable as he stared at the book lying open on the table before him, one that revealed the fate of the family he loved more than his own life.

“I don’t believe in prophecy,” he softly spat out each word with a deadly calm that made the fine hairs stand up on Nicci’s arms. She could tell he was fighting to remain in control.

“But you can’t ignore this, Richard,” Nicci heatedly warned him. “We fear that the powerful storm descending like an unforeseen plague is referring to the trouble brewing in Aydindril that Kahlan went to address which means she is in very real danger.”

Richard drew a deep breath, his eyes falling closed as he fought to rein in the unmistakable flood of magic that was inundating him, his chest rising and falling in barely controlled fear and rage. He hadn’t even touched his sword yet that hung at the ready at his left hip and still he could barely breathe from the ferocity of it, the overwhelming need to protect his family at all cost. 

His family was in great danger and he needed to get to them as soon as possible. “I’m leaving for Aydindril tonight,” he suddenly announced. “Zedd, I want you to come with me. Nicci, I want you to stay here and help Garren, Cara, and Holland watch over the People’s Palace in case the threat ends up coming here as well.”

Nicci nodded her head in agreement, more than relieved that Richard was taking prophecy seriously for once. His reaction to all of this was more like the Richard that she had come to know and love and it made her heart swell with pride as well as relief.

“I’m ready to leave just as soon as you are,” Zedd said with a smile as he stood to his feet, closing the book and tucking it securely under his arm.

“Good, we’ll leave as soon as I can talk to the others and leave orders,” he nodded his head.

“Should you message ahead to Kahlan in the journey book to let her and Edmund know that you’re coming?” Nicci asked.

“No,” he firmly said, shaking his head. “We don’t know for certain yet what’s truly going on there. Someone might get their hands on the book and put their plans into action before I can get there to stop it or Edmund might already be under some sort of magical spell that could put Kahlan in further danger. It’s best to keep this between us until I know more about what’s going on.”

“I guess you’re right,” Nicci agreed, wishing there was some way to get word to Kahlan to let her know that Richard was coming for her.

She just prayed that Kahlan hadn’t given up on Richard yet. In her vulnerable state, Tristan could swoop in and steal her away from Richard before he’d had a chance to get to her. The thought made her ill. Richard would never recover from something like that. Never. 

She just hoped that he got to Kahlan in time…for more reasons than just one.

XXX

Cyrus Lang couldn’t shake the sense of unease and dread that had settled over him since witnessing the Mother Confessor’s glorious return to Aydindril this afternoon. The entire city had come to a screeching halt with her unexpected arrival, all activity and business tractions pausing just to see Lady Kahlan Rahl riding through the streets on her way to the Confessor’s Palace.

He was beginning to think now that the rumblings of unrest that they had been working so hard on stirring up against the House of Rahl wasn’t going to be enough to overcome the fierce loyalty that lay with Richard and Kahlan. 

While they had several prominent members of Aydindril society in their back pockets, he feared now that it may not be nearly enough. Kahlan Rahl’s arrival had definitely sent an electric ripple of excitement through the city, reawakening the love for her and the Seeker that had never truly diminished since they had left for the People’s Palace.

They couldn’t allow it to deter them or cause them to lose their focus, not now when they were so close to finally realizing their dream. 

“Edmund,” Cyrus called as he suddenly noticed his friend coming towards him.

“Cyrus,” he greeted him. “What brings you by the Confessor’s Palace this afternoon? We don’t have any council meetings on the agenda for today.”

“I heard that the Mother Confessor had returned this afternoon,” he replied. “Quite of any unexpected visit, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” Edmund agreed. “We had no idea that she was even coming, but it’s certainly wonderful to have her home once again.”

“I hear she brought her children with her,” Cyrus conversationally inquired, trying to sound as casual as possible as he tried to dig for as much information as possible to take back to the secret Alliance. “I’m surprised that Lord Rahl didn’t accompany her.”

“Yes, the children are positively adorable,” Edmund beamed with great pride as if he’d had something to do with it.

“Any idea why Lord Rahl chose not to accompany his wife to Aydindril?”

Edmund frowned as he thoughtfully shook his head. “No, I’m afraid not,” he told him. “I assume he had duties that required his attention at the People’s Palace. It’s definitely not like Richard to let Kahlan go without him being by her side. He’s quite protective of her.”

“I have heard how much in love they are,” Cyrus nodded his head. 

“Very much so,” Edmund grinned. “Have never seen anything quite it in all my years.”

“So what brings the Mother Confessor home?” he prodded a little further.

“I haven’t had a chance to actually speak with her yet,” Edmund admitted. “I’m meeting her for dinner here shortly.”

Cyrus stroked his chin as he decided to dig a little deeper. “I hope it’s nothing serious that brings her back to Aydindril. Things seem to be running rather smoothly so I’m rather surprised at her sudden return.”

“I’m sure it’s just a visit,” Edmund reassured his friend, squeezing his shoulder. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’m due to meet her and her friends for dinner.”

“Yes, by all means, Edmund, don’t let me keep you,” Cyrus clapped him on the back. “Let me know if there’s something going on that I might be able to help with.”

“You know I will, old friend,” Edmund smiled before continuing on his way.

Cyrus watched as Edmund hurried down the corridor, knowing that there had to be something more going on. Kahlan Rahl came home for a reason and he had a feeling it concerned the Alliance in some way. He had already heard rumors that King Tristan Kabay had been seen accompanying her home. 

They had attempted to feel Tristan out a couple of seasons ago, needing to see where the powerful King’s loyalties had truly laid. Unfortunately, his loyalties had strongly remained with Lord Rahl and the Mother Confessor, siding with what they were doing by forming the D’Haran Empire. 

He feared now that their subtle attempts to probe Tristan Kabay to find out where he stood had possibly alerted him to the fact that there were some on the Council resolved to end the rule of the House of Rahl once and for all, to bring back Aydindril to its former glory as the crowning jewel of the Midlands.

He needed to see Trevor Bail right away, talk to him and let him know about his fear. If his suspicions did prove to be correct, then he feared they had a bigger problem on their hands more than they could have possibly imagined.

XXX

She opened the door to her suite, startled to find Tristan Kabay standing at the door with his hand raised in preparation to knock. He quickly lowered his hand in stunned surprise as he found himself face to face with the woman that he loved.

Kahlan froze at the sight of him, uncertainty suddenly welling up inside of her, a nervous flutter erupting in the pit of her stomach. Memories of his earlier visit to her suite this afternoon flooded her mind; the feel of his hands on her swiftly rose to the forefront of her thoughts.

Tristan tried to calm his racing heart before finally speaking, knowing he needed to stay in control if he was going to get through this. “Kahlan, I wanted to talk to you for a moment in private if I may,” he softly requested, keeping a respectable distance from her, his hands clasped behind his back.

From behind, he could see Kahlan’s father Frederick with the girls, Katrina holding Aiden as well as Mistress Rachel. Kahlan paused to look back at them, suddenly feeling rather awkward at the moment, but knowing they needed to address what had happened this afternoon. 

“Go on ahead,” she finally said to her father and the others. “I’ll meet up with you down in the dining hall in a moment.”

Tristan breathed a sigh of relief, nodding to the others who smiled at him as they passed by except for Mistress Rachel who glowered hotly at him as she followed the others out of the suite. It was definitely a silent warning to not try anything or he would regret it.

Kahlan walked back into her suite, her hands clasped before her, her head lowered in obvious conflicted thought. “What is it that you want to talk about, Tristan?” she asked, finally turning to face him.

Tristan was keeping his distance from her, standing uneasily by the door that he had closed behind him. She didn’t think that she’d ever seen him look this nervous or unsure of himself in all her life. He had always been the picture of self-assurance almost to the point of being arrogant, but he pulled it off in a way that always seemed to charm everyone.

Now, he seemed so vulnerable, so uncertain.

Tristan met her sapphire gaze dark with apprehension, wanting nothing more than to draw her into his arms and never let her go. She was positively breath-taking in a variation of her traditional pristine Mother Confessor’s dress, her raven hair curled and pulled up at the sides.

He swallowed hard before responding to her. “I wanted to apologize to you…about earlier today,” he anxiously said, lowering his gaze. “You are vulnerable right now after everything you’ve been through the last several weeks…especially everything that has happened with Richard.

“I had no right to come in and touch you like that, Kahlan. It was very inappropriate of me to do that to you. I am your friend first and foremost and I lost sight of that.”

“It’s alright, Tristan,” Kahlan replied, folding her arms against her chest and keeping her distance from him.

“No…no, it’s not alright,” Tristan adamantly shook his head, taking an involuntary step closer to her. His disgust with his earlier behavior was more than evident in the expression on his face, the bewilderment in his eyes. “I hurt you, Kahlan, and for that I’m truly sorry. I allowed my feelings for you to cloud my judgment, to push you into something when you’re not ready.”

“Why, Tristan?” she asked. “Why would you still want to be confessed to me after all this time?”

“Because I love you, Kahlan,” he readily replied without a second thought. “I have always loved you. When you came to Aydindril to live and to train to be a Confessor, I just knew I’d love no other but you.”

“But why, Tristan?” Kahlan pressed, her voice rising. “You would be confessed to me, lose who you are forever because of my magic. Why are you so willing to throw who you are away?”

Tristan shook his head in disbelief, a smile spreading across his face as though the answer was so very simple to see, so crystal clear. “For you, Kahlan,” he replied. “For you I’d do anything…even give up my soul for you.”

“But that’s not a chance I’m willing to take,” Kahlan cried in frustration. “I don’t want to confess you, Tristan. You would no longer be you, but a soulless shell of the man that I once knew. You of all people know what confession would turn you into.”

“But I’d be with you and that’s all I want,” he insisted. “You took that the chance with Richard Rahl and he wasn’t confessed. Couldn’t the same happen for me?”

“You don’t know that, Tristan,” Kahlan angrily snapped, turning her back to him, her white skirt swishing softly at her feet with her sudden movement. “Richard is special, proved to be immune to my touch, but you might not be.”

“It doesn’t matter to me, Kahlan,” he maintained. “If I’m confessed or not, it doesn’t matter to me as long as I’m with you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

“That’s very sweet, Tristan, but I don’t love you,” Kahlan told him, turning back to face him so he could see the truth of her words in her eyes. “I love Richard. No matter what has happened between Richard and me, I always have and always will love him.”

Tristan felt as though his heart was breaking into a thousand razor-sharp pieces, ripping his chest apart, but he refused to allow her to see it. “I understand that you feel that way now, but I’m hoping in time that you might feel something for me. I’m not going to give up on you, Kahlan; not now, not ever, but I’m not going to try and push into loving me.”

“Tristan, please…” she began, shaking her head in frustration.

“I’m not going to try to kiss you again, Kahlan,” he firmly stated, doing his best to hold himself together. “I’m going to stand by your side and be your friend. I’m going to help you discover what’s going on in Aydindril and help you put a stop to it. 

“If during that time, you decide that you feel something for me too, then I will be more than thrilled to do whatever it takes to make you mine. But you’re going to have to be the one to come to me, Kahlan. I don’t want to be the cause of any more confusion and pain for you. You mean too much to me to hurt you like that.”

Kahlan was stunned by his words, relieved to know that he wasn’t going to try to kiss her anymore. She felt such utter confusion and chaos inside, warring with the heartache and anger over what Richard had done to her, the loneliness that was eating away at her heart.

She couldn’t allow her feelings to get in the way, couldn’t allow them to obscure her judgment right now. She needed to focus on Aydindril, diffuse any unrest that was brewing here against Richard and the D’Haran Empire. She needed to protect him at all cost.

“Thank you,” she nodded. “I appreciate that, but please don’t get your hopes up. You’ll only end up being hurt all over again and I don’t want to do that to you.

“When I married Richard, I married him for better or for worse, to share the good times and the bad. I’m not going to just walk away from him because things aren’t good right now because he’s struggling to come to terms with things that never should’ve happened in the first place. 

“He is my husband, Tristan, and my marriage is the most important thing in this world to me next to my children. It’s not something I’m willing to just throw away.”

Tristan drew a deep breath, nodding his head in agreement. “I understand and I greatly respect that,” he said, doing his best to keep his heartache from finding his voice at that moment. “Richard is a very fortunate man to have you as his wife. I just hope that he comes to realize that soon because I’m not going to give up on us, Kahlan.”

Before she could respond, he turned towards the door and opened it, pausing just before he left. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some business to attend to in Aydindril before retiring for the night,” he informed her. “I’ll meet with you tomorrow and see what sort of a plan we can come up with to get to the bottom of what’s going on in Aydindril before it’s too late. Sleep well, Kahlan.”

Kahlan watched him as he left, rubbing her arms as if to ward of a chill that wasn’t there. She felt her heart sink as he closed the door behind him. His words had been unexpected and yet had brought her a small measure of surprising comfort.

She wished more than anything that Richard was here with her, holding her close and telling her that everything was going to be alright. In her heart, she knew that she loved him above all else, wanted him more than she had ever wanted anybody in her entire life. 

What she had told Tristan had been the truth. She wasn’t going to just walk away from her marriage because things had gotten so difficult between them. She loved him too much to just give up on him, to turn her back on what they had built together.

What she didn’t know anymore was if Richard still loved and wanted her, was as willing to fight for their marriage as she was. The uncertainty nearly tore her heart in two.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 10

Richard sank onto the hard ground with a weary sigh, exhausted and somewhat thankful Zedd had insisted they stop to rest for the night even though his insides were twisted and clenched so tight he could barely draw a breath.

His family was in great danger and he was the only one who could save them, who could put a stop to this coming storm. Even though the prophecy hadn’t said anything about how to fix it or who would be the one to do stop it, despite the fact that he didn’t even believe in prophecy, Richard knew in his heart it was up to him to make things right and stop the terrifying plague that was about to come.

While the prophecy didn’t indicate what kind of storm was coming, the Seeker shuddered to think of what it possibly could be. 

He had seen more horrors, more unimaginable wickedness than he thought was even possible since leaving Westland with Kahlan and Zedd over four years ago. He had long ago lost that naïve innocence of his boyhood that had come with growing up and being sheltered in the Hartland woods. He had been forced to see that the world that lived outside of his small town was more cruel and savage than he had ever believed was possible by mankind.

He knew deep in his gut that was coiled with dread that what he was about to encounter in Aydindril would eventually become the greatest fight he’d ever been forced to face, even more so than trying to defeat the Keeper of the Underworld himself. 

He couldn’t stop the shiver that suddenly tore through him as if it had been a bolt of lightning as he paused to consider the words of the prophecy that Zedd had read to him. He hadn’t been able to get them out of his head since he heard them, becoming a haunting mantra that ceaselessly echoed through his mind, attempting to taunt him with his perceived failure.

_“Once the bonded gifted are finally broken…”_

Were he and Kahlan beyond repair now? Would he be able to get her back?

He drew a deep breath in an effort to tamp down on the wild flutter of emotions that consumed his heart as he thought of his family, knowing in a few days he’d be able to hold his children again…to see his Kahlan.

Tears instantly stung his eyes, but he refused to allow them to fully form. He had no one to blame for all of his but himself. The loneliness, the heart-rending ache in his chest had been by his very own hands. He had been the one to push Kahlan away, he had been the one to turn his anger and pain on her, he had been the one to blame her for losing their baby.

How could he have turned his back on the one that he loved above all else?

If it hadn’t been hard enough to learn that Kahlan had lost their unborn baby, it had only gotten that much worse to come home and find a man waiting for Kahlan to return just so he could take her away from him.

He had practically driven her away from the home they had made, pushing her right into the arms of a very willing man who had once been engaged to her, taking his children with her. If she never wanted to see him again, he could hardly blame her.

He only prayed that she would at least give him a chance, allow him the opportunity to earn her forgiveness and regain her trust and faith in him once more. He needed to prove his love for her, to win her heart all over again.

He had done it once, won the heart and hand of the most amazing woman ever to be created. He just prayed to the good spirits that he would be able to do it again.

Richard tilted his head back to look up at the stars that littered the inky sky above him, wondering at what point everything had gone so terribly wrong, the exact moment when he had begun to lose everything that he held dear to him.

At this moment, he didn’t feel like the great Seeker of Truth or the powerful Lord Rahl of D’Hara. He felt like nothing more than a man with a broken heart and a broken life that he was so desperately trying to piece back together.

Richard swallowed hard past the pesky unwanted knot that kept lodging in his throat when he least expected it as he heard the sound of approaching boots. He reached for his water skin, taking a long drink before stuffing it back into his pack, trying to regain control once more.

“Well, I have to say that I feel a little better having the Mord’Sith with us,” Zedd pleasantly announced as he entered their small camp, settling down on the ground on the other side of the fire. “We don’t have to take turns keeping watch while the other one sleeps.”

“I still would’ve preferred being on our own,” Richard frowned. “The less number of people travelling with us, the faster we can move.”

Zedd arched a bushy white eyebrow at him as he grabbed an apple from his pack. “Did you honestly think that Cara was going to allow you to leave the People’s Palace without sending Mord’Sith with us?”

Richard snorted in response. “No, but I had hoped to escape without Garren and Holland sending along the First File as well.”

“They just want to make sure that you’re well protected,” Zedd smiled knowingly as he took a bite of his apple. “They all care about you, Richard. Besides, the Lord Rahl of the D’Haran Empire can’t be running around the countryside unprotected.”

“I ran around the territories as the Seeker with only you and Kahlan and then later with Cara,” Richard stubbornly pointed out. “I think I can handle myself.”

“Do you truly feel that way?” Zedd asked.

Richard looked up sharply at him from across the fire, his eyes narrowing. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Zedd shrugged a shoulder as he munched on his apple. “Just that I know that you had temporarily lost your way; how you felt that you had failed everyone. Are you ready to take on whatever trouble awaits us in Aydindril?”

From the way Richard’s dark brown eyes flared with rage, Zedd expected a flippant angry response from his grandson, but one was not to come this time. He watched with great pride and amazement as Richard carefully locked away the anger brewing inside, thoughtfully considering his words before speaking.

“Honestly, Zedd,” he finally replied, pausing to draw a deep breath before slowly releasing it and continuing. “I don’t know. All I know is that I have to be or my family will pay the price.”

Zedd nodded his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth deepening the wrinkles on his face. “That was the answer I was hoping to hear from you.”

Richard’s frown deepened as he stared at his grandfather in stunned disbelief. “You wanted to hear that the Seeker and Lord Rahl is uncertain of himself, doesn’t know if he has what it takes to face whatever horrors possibly await us in Aydindril?

“The truth…yes,” Zedd nodded his head.

“Why?” Richard nearly cried as he leapt to his feet, his anger and frustration once again reasserting itself and warring for control. “I don’t know who I am anymore or what to believe about myself, Zedd. The Richard that I thought I was feels just like some creation of my imagination.

“I thought I had it altogether, knew what I was doing. I had defeated Darken Rahl twice, stopped the Keeper from taking over the world of the living. I married Kahlan and took over rule of a crumbling territory to form an Empire. I have the most beautiful children who look to me as their father to take care of them.

But now after everything that has happened the several weeks, I wonder if it was all just a dream, nothing more than just luck on my side.”

“You don’t honestly believe that, do you?” 

“I thought I could handle anything, could defeat any form of evil that came our way. With Kahlan by my side, I felt like I was invincible,” he admitted. “But then Michael dropped into my life only to fall right out of it again…”

“Richard, you can’t control life and death,” Zedd told him as he watched his grandson pace back and forth on the other side of the fire, his hands clasped behind his back and a look of utter frustration and helplessness on his face. “No one truly can. We like to delude ourselves into thinking that we have a say, but ultimately we don’t.”

“But I have been able to save Kahlan from it countless times, have saved so many people’s lives over the years since you named me Seeker,” Richard pressed on. “I dance with death every time I draw my sword, have delivered it more times than I can count.

“You tell me that I’m some special war wizard, possess such powerful magic that hasn’t been around in thousands of years and yet I was unable to use to save that precious little boy. What good is a magnificent sword and powerful magic, Zedd, if I can’t even stop my own child from dying?”

“Yes, what happened to Michael was more than tragic and I am sad that it happened,” Zedd replied, watching as his grandson paused to hang his head in defeat, rubbing his eyes with his hands. “At the same time, Michael was never truly yours, Richard. He was never meant to exist in the first place, was created because someone decided to use magic in a perverse way that was never intended.”

“He had my blood in his veins, Zedd,” Richard said, his voice hard like steel. “When I tried to heal him and remove his fever, I felt my essence in him. I felt a bond with him just as sure as if Kahlan had given birth to him. I didn’t realize it until the moment he died that that was what I had felt when I had touched my Han to heal him, but it was…it was devastating knowing I couldn’t save him.”

“Richard, you are not the Creator herself,” Zedd shook his head.

Richard continued on as if he hadn’t even heard a word he had just said. “And then, I felt such relief that it was finally over,” he almost yelled, the tears that he had forbidden to form before now trickling down his cheeks. “How could any human being with a heart be relieved that a child had died, Zedd? What kind of man does that make me?”

“It makes you human, Richard,” he gently said, finally understanding where his grandson’s pain and struggle was coming from. “It was a dreadful situation that Ann had forced you into, shoving a wedge of doubt between you and Kahlan and turning your world upside down. 

“There is nothing wrong with feeling a sense of relief when it was finally over. Michael was never meant to live in the first place so there was never truly a way for you to prevent his death.”

“But I failed him,” Richard shook his head, his voice thick with tears. “He died and I failed him.”

Zedd got to his feet, making his way to his grandson. He gathered him into his arms, holding him close as Richard finally broke down in agonizing sobs. “I couldn’t save him, Zedd,” he cried. “What if I can’t save my daughters or Aiden if something happens to them? What if I can’t save Kahlan the next time she’s in danger? I can’t lose them, Zedd…I can’t…”

“It’s alright, Richard,” Zedd attempted to comfort him, rubbing his back as he held his grandson. 

“No, it’s not,” he murmured. “What if I’m not enough to keep them safe?”

Zedd finally pulled back, keeping a firm hand on each of Richard’s shoulders, forcing his grandson to look him in the eye. “You are more than enough to keep them safe, Richard. You are the prophesied Seeker of Truth. You were born for this, born to carry the heavy mantle of leadership as well as salvation from injustice and no one…do you hear me…no one is more capable on this earth of doing just that than you.

“If it weren’t true, I never would’ve named you the Seeker, never would’ve given you the Sword of Truth or followed you the last four years if I didn’t believe in you and what you were meant to do.”

“What if I’m not enough?” he softly said with tears still shining in his eyes.

“You are more enough…and so are your friends that care about you,” he reminded him. “You have got to find a way to let go of this senseless guilt that you are forcing yourself to carry. The only one blaming you for Michael’s death is you, Richard.

“Now, you can either decide to let go of the past that cannot be changed and chose to live for your wife and children, the wonderful future that lies before you or you can lock yourself up in this pitiful prison that you alone have locked yourself away in. 

“Which will it be, Richard? Be miserable for the rest of your life over something you had no control over or chose the woman you love and the beautiful children the two of you have made.”

Richard slowly nodded his head as he considered his grandfather’s words, knowing deep in his heart that Zedd was right. Because he had chosen to hang onto all of this guilt and pain, he had not only lost his way, but was also on the verge of losing everything he loved. He couldn’t let that happen.

Zedd squeezed his grandson’s shoulders before releasing him, knowing that he had finally gotten through to him. He made his way to the other side of the campfire, settling down against a tree stump for the night. 

“Now, you had better start getting some sleep or you’re going to be absolutely useless to everyone by the time we get to Aydindril,” the old Wizard yawned.

Richard scrubbed his face with his hands, banishing the tears once and for all, determined to not shed another one over things that he could not change. He needed to focus now on the things that he could do, concentrating on the things that he could change like getting his wife back and saving his family.

He settled back down on his bedroll, pulling his pack behind him to use as a pillow. Lying back, his tired eyes settled on the moon shining so brightly in the sky, seemingly close enough to just reach out and grasp it and yet so very far away. 

He wondered what Kahlan was doing at that moment, wondering if she was even thinking about him. He missed her so much it physically hurt. He had never believed it was possible for an emotion to cause such an intense physical ache inside, one that could not be touched or seen and yet he had been living with it every moment of every day since Kahlan had left and he was more than sick of it.

As soon as he got to Aydindril, Richard swore to himself he was going to do whatever it took to get her back, to save the marriage that he had very nearly destroyed. He began to plot out what he would do; plan the things that he would say to her in order to win her back as sleep began to take hold of him.

“I love you, Kahlan,” he whispered to no one, desperately wishing that she could hear him, feel what beat in his heart for her.

XXX

Kahlan sat on the bed with Paige and Priya, reading their favorite book to them as they snuggled together under the covers. She cast a glance at them as she read the final words, finding that they had both drifted off to sleep already.

She smiled to herself as she stood, leaning over to caress the cheek of each one before placing a gentle goodnight kiss on each forehead. “Good night, my sweet girls,” she whispered as she turned the lamp light down to dim.

Setting the book down on the nightstand, Kahlan left their bedroom, closing the door behind her before heading to Aiden’s room. She opened the door to find him already awake, soft whimpering cries coming from his bassinet.

She leaned over and picked him up, his little face red and wet with tears. “What’s wrong, my little prince?” she cooed as she carried him to the rocking chair. “Are you hungry?”

Settling into the chair, Kahlan adjusted her dress, bringing her baby to her breast to feed him. He hungrily latched on; suckling as she softly caressed his cheek. He looked up at her with big chestnut eyes so much like his father’s that it was startling to behold.

Every day that passed by, she saw more and more of Richard in him, making her heart swell with more love than she thought anyone was capable of feeling. He was so much like his father in every way imaginable, bringing her great pride.

She wished more than anything that Richard was here with her now, waiting for her to come to him in their big bed. She quickly forced herself to banish those thoughts, knowing that wanting something wasn’t going to make it true.

She had come here for a reason and she needed to focus on that now. Richard wasn’t here and he wasn’t coming. He had made his feelings perfectly clear after they had returned from Caprice, his anger with her more than evident especially after learning about her past with Tristan.

She couldn’t force Richard to understand, couldn’t force him to love her or want to be with her no matter how much it hurt her, how much so longed for him. It had been so long since she had felt his hands and lips against her skin, his body grinding against hers, since she’d felt him so large and hot like steel deep inside of her.

She ached to feel him filling her again, showing her how much he loved her even now after all that happened. She needed to know that he didn’t blame her for losing the baby, understood why she had risked every to come for him in Caprice.

Kahlan suddenly found her anger rising in unison with her lonely desire, reminding her of how much he had hurt her. While she was desperate for her husband, anxious to repair their marriage, she was not going to just welcome him into her arms or her bed once she finally returned to the People’s Palace.

Richard needed to understand that he had hurt her deeply, crushed her when he had turned his back to her after their baby had been lost. He needed to find a way to let her in again, to let her be the one that he turned to with his pain instead of Nicci.

She had lost greatly in all of this too, had helplessly watched as a little boy who looked just like Richard had slowly died only to lose their own unborn child. Just when she had needed her husband the most, he hadn’t been there, turning instead to another woman to share his hurts with.

That crushed her more than anything, knowing he had chosen Nicci over her. And yet, how could she be angry with him when she had allowed Tristan to kiss her?

She was going to need time to heal from all of this, to be able to trust Richard again with her heart. Until he could prove to her that things had changed, they couldn’t be together, couldn’t make things work between them.

Looking down at her son, Kahlan found that Aiden had fallen asleep already. Adjusting her dress, she held him against her shoulder, patting his back as she continued to rock him, her thoughts taking her to Tristan and the things that he had said to her before dinner this evening.

He had been incredibly sweet and understanding, thankfully giving her the space that she so desperately needed right now to think and deal with the things that she was trying to sort through not only in her head, but in her heart as well. 

While she’d only had a small girlhood crush on him at one time, it had never grown past friendship. Despite that, she was still finding it more than difficult to think straight when he was around her. He was just as handsome and charming as he had always been…and he was still in love with her.

How was she going to be able to deal with that especially when her own marriage was in shambles?

Kahlan stood to her feet, tucking Aiden back into his bassinet before leaving. Entering the bedchamber, she stopped to stare at the empty bed before her, her heart in her throat as she finally climbed in, pulling the covers over her.

Rolling onto her side, she stared out the window to find the moon shining so brightly, casting streams of light to splash across her bed. She wondered where Richard was at that moment, hoping more than anything that he was thinking of her, missing her as much as she missed him.

“I love you so much, Richard,” she whispered as she closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his pillow to hold it close to her, wishing more than anything it was truly him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 11

Kahlan sat at her desk in her office at the Confessor’s Palace, a look of supreme displeasure fixed firmly on her face as she studied the information spread out before her. Across the desk from her, Tristan sat studying the same documents. 

“This is the part of Aydindril where I’ve tracked increased shipments of weaponry and supplies,” Tristan pointed out on the map before him. “I think someone is stockpiling weapons for a takeover.”

“I just can’t believe that this is really happening,” Kahlan shook her head in stunned disbelief. 

This all just seemed like some surreal dream that she couldn’t wake herself up from no matter how hard she tried. All of the information that Tristan had been able to glean so far that he felt pointed towards the trouble brewing in Aydindril was spread out before her, all of it telling her that this was no bad dream. This was a stark reality that she couldn’t deny.

Someone was out to destroy them.

“I’m telling you, Kahlan,” he finally stated, noticing the disbelief still etched on her beautiful face. “Something is going on in Aydindril and I think Trevor Bail is at the heart of it.”

“What makes you think Trevor is involved?” she shook her head, her brow knitted in thought as she tried to process all of it. “We’ve both known Trevor for years, Tristan, and he’s been nothing but a steadfast supporter of the Confessors and the Council.”

“I don’t disagree with you on that, but I think he wants things to be like it was before Richard took over the throne of D’Hara and formed the D’Haran Empire,” Tristan insisted. “And I think he has found others who feel the same way.”

“I need proof of this if I’m going to go up against Trevor or anyone else who could be siding with him,” she reminded him. “Trevor is a very well respected representative of Aydindril. I can’t bring up charges of treason unless I have more than just your gut instinct. I won’t sully a good man’s reputation unless I have solid evidence.”

“Don’t you trust me, Kahlan?” he angrily snapped, his gaze narrowing as he glared at her.

“If I didn’t trust you, Tristan, I wouldn’t be in Aydindril right now,” she heatedly shot back. “I’d be with my husband at the People’s Palace trying to save my marriage.”

Tristan sank back in his chair folding his arms, guilt welling up in his chest as he released a frustrated sigh. “I’m sorry, Kahlan,” he finally apologized. “You’re right. I didn’t mean to lose my temper. I’m just terrified about what Trevor and the others are really up to. I seriously believe you and Aydindril are in terrible danger.”

“What makes you think they’re targeting me?” she frowned.

“Trevor is a very powerful man with far-reaching influence. He has been conspicuously asking a lot of questions over the last couple of seasons especially concerning how everyone feels about you and Richard leading the new Empire,” Tristan explained. “There’s a rumor going around Aydindril that he’d like to take Richard down as well as you if you stand in his way of taking control of the city. When I confronted him about it, he just laughed it off as nothing more than silly gossip.”

“You know as well as I do how gossip and rumors run rampant around here,” Kahlan pointed out. “We’ve all been rumored to be doing one thing or another.”

“One of my most trusted soldiers intercepted this while I was at the People’s Palace convincing you to return to Aydindril,” Tristan told her, sliding a folded piece of paper across the desk to her.

Taking the paper, Kahlan unfolded it, a sudden sense of dread causing her stomach to churn as she began to read it. It was addressed to Trevor Bail, letting him know that the Alliance would be arriving in Aydindril to help take care of matters soon. 

It was signed by Kao C’Id.

Kahlan looked up sharply from the paper in her hand, her gaze fixed on Tristan. “The Alliance?” she said, leaning forward again with growing urgency. “Who is the Alliance and this Kao C’Id?”

“I’m not sure, but I’ve got some of my men working on gathering more information about both of them.”

“We need to talk to Edmund to see what he might now about all of this,” Kahlan frowned, fear rising in her throat knowing that her very own people…people that she had trusted and known for years were now turning again her and Richard.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea or not,” Tristan hesitantly admitted, worry clouding his blue eyes.

“Why not?” Kahlan asked, tucking a raven curl behind her ear. “He seems perfectly fine to me.”

“I’m just worried about who we can and cannot trust with all of this at this point,” he warned her. “If the wrong person finds out we know what’s going on, it could turn very deadly very quickly and I don’t want you or your children in any more danger than you already are. I think we should keep this between you and me…at least just for right now.”

“Edmund would never betray me or Richard,” Kahlan heatedly stated, her sapphire eyes flashing with resentment. “He has done nothing but support us since we returned from defeating the Keeper.”

“No he wouldn’t, not intentionally, but if he is under some magical influence he might not realize what he’s doing.”

Kahlan thought for a long moment before finally responding. “I just hate the idea of someone hurting Edmund. He was my father when I didn’t have one.”

“I know,” Tristan agreed, his expression softening. “I meant to tell you how happy I am for you that you and your father have worked everything out between you. Frederick has really turned his life around and genuinely cares about you.”

“Thank you,” Kahlan smiled despite her fear with all that was going on. “It has been wonderful having him in my life again. At first, it was difficult, not knowing if I could actually trust him, but he’s proven himself to me and Richard that he has truly changed.”

“You’re lucky you have him in your life,” Tristan replied, his voice nearly cracking with sudden emotion. “I miss my father greatly. I know he had his flaws, but at heart he was a good man and a great father.”

Kahlan instinctively reached across the desk, her hand finding his and grasping it tightly. “He was a good man, Tristan,” she agreed, her thumb caressing the back of his hand. “He would’ve been very proud of the man you’ve become, the way you’re fighting now for Aydindril and the D’Haran Empire.”

Tristan looked down at their joined hands, electricity racing up his arm with every pass of her thumb against the back of his hand. He could feel his heart beginning to pound a little harder as his desire for her struggling to take control, but he fought to tamp down on it.

He had made a promise to her and he intended to keep it no matter what it took.

Kahlan suddenly realized what she was doing, could tell by the growing storm in his eyes that she was having an effect on him just by touching him. She quickly let go of him, pulling her hands into her lap as guilt flooded her.

She shouldn’t have done that and yet at the same time she had found that she had wanted to touch him in that moment…and it scared her to death.

Tristan felt a flush of excited hope at the sudden look of uncertainty that flitted through Kahlan’s eyes. It was better than an outright no or even worse no emotional reaction to him at all. It caused his insides to tremble.

“So how do you think we should proceed with this?” Tristan asked, changing the subject. “I would be more than happy to send for the Tashon guards to come to Aydindril to help back your army here.”

“No, not yet,” she shook her head, biting her bottom lip as she forced herself to focus on the trouble at hand instead of the cyclone of confusion going on inside of her heart. “We’re still going to need solid proof that Trevor is at the heart of all of this.”

“Kahlan, you have a letter in your hands saying as much,” Tristan said, standing to his feet.

“Yes, but Trevor could easily say that he had no knowledge of any of this or that someone was trying to frame him,” Kahlan pointed out. “I’m not saying that I don’t believe you, Tristan. I’m only saying that we need more proof. Besides, we need to find out who else is involved in this plot. I don’t want to go after Trevor only to have everyone else scamper back into hiding. They’ll only regroup and try again later. I want to end this here and now, take them all down at once.”

Tristan nodded his head as he considered all that she had just said. “You’re right,” he finally admitted, standing across from her, his arms crossed against his chest. She watched as a smile slowly spread across his face. “You always were the one with the cooler head, wanting to gather as much information as possible before acting.”

Kahlan couldn’t help but smile now in response. “And you were the one who always wanted to run headlong into trouble, sword swinging and ready to take heads.”

“What can I say?” he shrugged with a grin. “Some things never change.”

“It’s nice to know some things haven’t changed,” she confessed. “It’s comforting in a way.”

“Well, would you care to join me for lunch so we can decide where to go with all of this?” he asked.

Kahlan sighed heavily, suddenly feeling a wave of nervousness in the pit of her stomach. “Tristan, I don’t…”

“Kahlan,” he firmly interrupted her, his piercing blue eyes boring into her. “It’s lunch, not a marriage proposal and on top of that it’s a working lunch not one meant purely for pleasure.”

She couldn’t stifle the lilting laughter that suddenly spilled from her lips. “You’re right,” she nodded as she stood to her feet. “I’m sorry. I’m just having a hard time trying to figure everything out.”

“I know,” he gently replied, offering her his arm. “And that’s why I’m holding myself to the promise I made to you. No pressure, no inappropriate advances. If you want a kiss, you have to be the one to kiss me.”

Kahlan could feel her cheeks growing warm as she dipped her head. “Don’t hold your breath, Tristan.”

He wrapped her hand around his arm, his hand settling on top of hers and feeling completely captivated by her. “If the good spirits answer my prayers, I won’t be waiting for too much longer.”

“Tristan Kabay,” Kahlan scolded him as she allowed him to escort her from her office. “You are positively incorrigible. You never give up, do you?”

“No, I don’t and I plan on making sure you smile or laugh at least five times a day,” he told her. “It’s my own personal mission.”

“Oh, really?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow at the handsome king.

“Yes,” he smirked at her. “Because when you smile, your whole face practically glows. I want to see more of that.”

“You’ve become quite dangerous since I last saw you,” Kahlan shook her head in amusement. “Trying to woo the heart of a married woman.”

“And so very charming,” he added with a playful grin. “Don’t forget charming.”

Kahlan couldn’t help giggling at him as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. It felt good to be laughing for a change instead of crying, to feel a sense of happiness inside instead of being consumed with nothing but loneliness and hurt. 

She wished Richard was here more than anything, but he didn’t want her, had turned his back on her when she had needed him the most, leaving her broken and so utterly lost. She quickly pushed him from her mind, choosing rather to focus on Aydindril and the possible coup that was threatening to destroy everything they had been working so hard for.

XXX

Trevor Bail sat at his desk in his office at his home, reviewing their plans for taking over Aydindril. Things were finally falling into place after all the endless weeks of struggling and fighting, planning and scheming.

And nothing…absolutely nothing…was going to get in their way. Not even Kahlan Rahl and her sudden appearance in Aydindril.

His eyes began to darken, gleaming with the insatiable hunger for power that lived inside of him, for a dream yet to be realized. But soon. Soon Aydindril would be his to control, his to rule as he pleased and Lord Richard Rahl would be no more, his wife and his children wiped off the face of the world therefore permanently putting an end to the line of the House of Rahl.

He longed for the day that he would get to look into the eyes of Richard Rahl, broken and on his knees begging for mercy that would never come, pleading for the life of his wife and children only to see it all slip through his fingers.

He would be the one to deliver the final blow, to end the life of the great Lord Rahl of D’Hara. The Empire would be no more, the D’Haran territory swiftly crumbling to nothing as the Midlands reasserted itself as a dominating force once again. 

Westland and D’Hara would bow at their feet, Aydindril the ruling authority that it once had been before Richard Rahl stripped the magnificent city of its significant standing. The People’s Palace would be no more, burned to the ground by the Aydindril army never to rise again.

A sudden rap at the front door reluctantly pulled him from his thoughts, forcing him from his chair. He quickly went to the door, opening in to find Cyrus Lang standing before him. “Cyrus, what are you doing here?”

“I had to come see you,” he spoke low and confidentially. “It’s very important.”

“Come in…come in,” Trevor ushered him inside, quickly looking about to make sure no one was paying attention to them before shutting and locking the door behind him. “I hope you have good reason for being here. It’s dangerous for us to be seen together outside of the Confessor’s Palace.”

“No one saw me,” Cyrus reassured him, his frustration mounting with Trevor’s paranoia. “And I had no choice. We don’t meet again until tonight and I felt you needed to know about what I have learned before then.”

Trevor slowly nodded his head, releasing a reluctant sigh. “Alright,” he agreed. “Come to my office.”

Cyrus followed him to the large room that sat off to the side of the sitting room in Trevor’s very expansive lavish house. He immediately took the seat offered to him that sat across from Trevor’s at his desk.

“What’s going on?” Trevor frowned. “You seem pretty unnerved about something. Is it Kahlan Rahl’s arrival in Aydindril?”

“That’s part of it,” Cyrus admitted, dabbing away the perspiration from his forehead with his handkerchief. “I’ve been at the Confessor’s Palace since the Mother Confessor’s arrival, trying to gather as much information as possible to find out what brought her back here.”

“And?” the other man leaned forward, resting his arms on his desk as he clasped his hands together.

“Tristan Kabay might be on to us,” Cyrus informed him.

Trevor frowned in response to this newest revelation. “What makes you think that he has any idea about what is going on? We’ve been very careful in our questioning of him, making sure he doesn’t know what we’ve been up to.”

“Tristan is the one who brought Kahlan Rahl back to Aydindril,” Cyrus revealed. “He went to the People’s Palace and persuaded her to return.”

“Is that the rumor going around the Confessor’s Palace?”

Cyrus enthusiastically nodded his head. “And there’s more,” he continued. “There is also a rumor that Kahlan and Tristan have grown quite close again.”

“Kahlan is married to Richard Rahl,” Tristan tisked as he leaned back in his chair. “Their love affair is well-known. She’s the first Confessor in thousands of years to marry for love. I highly doubt that their marriage is in trouble.”

“I’m only passing on what I’ve learned,” Cyrus scowled, unhappy that Trevor wasn’t taking this more seriously than he was. “It would definitely explain why Richard Rahl didn’t come with Kahlan to Aydindril.”

“It’s all circumstantial,” Bail shook his head. “Besides, it makes no difference. We proceed as planned.”

“And what about Kahlan and Tristan?” Lang asked, concern rising. “What if they do know what’s going on? We’ll all be beheaded for treason.”

“They have no idea what’s about to come,” Trevor angrily hissed, standing to his feet. “If they knew what was truly about to happen to Aydindril, they’d run for the Old World in order to escape their punishment for selling out.”

“Is Kao coming here to help us?” Cyrus asked, his voice chalked full of hope, his eyes brightening somewhat.

“I don’t know,” Trevor had to admit, his hands coming to rest on the back of his chair. “I haven’t received any word from him yet. I would’ve expected some sort of response to my last communication long before now, but unfortunately I haven’t.”

Cyrus sat up straighter in his chair, his face growing ghostly pale. “You don’t think his response fell into the wrong hands, do you?”

“No, of course not,” Trevor bit out, his jaw tight. “You worry far too much for your own good, Cyrus. We are safe and the Alliance will be making its move any day now. You must stay vigilant to the cause.”

“I am,” he stated firmly. “I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing by leading us into this, Trevor. We’re on the verge of victory or death. Are you prepared to see us through to the end whichever that may be?”

Trevor leaned forward, the tips of his fingers coming to rest on the top of his desk, his dark eyes flashing with deadly anger as he glared at him. “I am prepared,” he growled. “Are you?”

Cyrus stood to his feet, angered by his challenge. “You already know I am or I wouldn’t be here to warn you that trouble may be brewing.”

“And what about Linus Bertram?” Bail asked, straightening up again. “Is he truly on board with all of this because there is no going back now?”

“He is with us,” Cyrus said, not even flinching beneath Trevor’s withering glare.

“He better be because I will not hesitate to eliminate him,” Bail informed him. “We cannot have any weak links in the chain now that we’re this close to victory. You keep him in line and his mouth shut or I will do it…permanently.”

Cyrus suddenly felt his throat grow dry with Bail’s threat. Things were rapidly growing more and more dangerous and out of control. He knew that it could eventually come to this, but he hadn’t anticipated it coming so soon…or from someone in their own Alliance.

“He won’t talk,” Cyrus ground out, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. “You know he is with us no matter what. He only wants what’s best for Aydindril.”

“He better remember whose side he’s on because if he forgets I will not hesitate to remind him,” Trevor told him.

Cyrus turned to leave, an overwhelming need to escape beginning to wash over him. Before he could get to the door, though, Trevor spoke again. “Make sure you remember which side you’re on as well, Cyrus,” he told him, his voice low and full of deadly intent. “I’d hate to see anything happen to that beautiful granddaughter of yours.”

Cyrus froze in his steps, his blood turning to ice water in his veins. He shot him a look of pure rage at the mention of his precious Lysria. She was all that he had left of his beloved daughter.

“I’d hate for her to become lost to the cause when the rebellion finally breaks out,” Trevor smiled something wicked at him. “It would be a shame for her to share her mother’s fate.”

“Don’t you dare threaten my family,” Cyrus stated with cold deadly calm.

“Just make sure you stay true to the Alliance and everything will work out just fine,” Trevor said, taking his seat again, turning his attention to the papers before him. “Thanks for stopping by, Cyrus. It was good to see you. I’ll see you tonight at the meeting.”

Cyrus’s insides twisted and churned with sick dread as he left, his legs feeling like lead. He was beginning to wonder what he had gotten himself wrapped up in.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 12

“Report,” Garren ordered.

“Everything’s finally under control now, Commander,” the soldier before him replied, wiping his brow with his sleeve.

“What happened exactly?” Holland frowned, folding his arms against his chest.

“There was a sudden fight that broke out in the marketplace, but we were able to get there in time to put a stop to it before it turned too violent,” the soldier grimly informed them. 

“What was the fight about?” Garren asked.

“Some man was yelling blasphemous slander against the Lord Rahl,” he informed them. “He was riling up quite a bit of trouble, trying to stir unrest among the people.”

Holland’s hand fell to the hilt of his sword as he pondered this, a grim expression on his face. “Where is this man now?”

“We’ve got him locked up in the dungeon at the moment. He began throwing things and destroying some of the booths in the marketplace before the guards could get to him, demanding Lord Rahl come down from his throne and face him.”

“Wonder what stirred this up all of the sudden,” Garren finally said, his stormy gray eyes narrowed in thought.

Just then a couple of soldiers raced towards them, breathlessly coming to a stop before the trio. “Sirs, we have more trouble on the other end of the marketplace,” one of the soldiers informed them.

“What kind of trouble now?” Holland asked, turning towards his men.

“A fight just broke out,” the man replied. “Some guy started provoking people to side with him against the Lord and Lady Rahl. He said they were only out for themselves and not for the good of D’Hara. A few people took offense to it and a huge brawl broke out.”

“Did you get it under control?”

“Yes, several Mord’Sith showed up and helped us regain control again,” the solider nodded his head. “It caused quite a scene, damaged several vendors’ carts.”

“What is going on around here?” Garren growled, more to himself than to Holland.

“Double the patrols in the marketplace as well as the Palace and tell Mistress Cara we’ll need more Mord’Sith to help make sure things don’t get out of hand again,” Holland ordered his men who quickly left to do as commanded.

“What do you think this all could mean?” Garren turned to Holland. “We’ve never had anything remotely like this happen before aside from a few drunken incidents here and there.”

“I have no idea, but someone is definitely trying to stir up trouble around here,” Holland agreed. “Do you think it could have anything to do with the trouble that Kahlan went to Aydindril to take care of?”

“I don’t know, but something is going on,” Garren shook his head. “Let’s go talk with the man they arrested. Maybe he can shed some light on all of this.”

“Agreed,” Holland replied. “Lord Rahl is only gone a couple of days and already we’ve got a possible problem developing.”

XXX

“Richard, you need to focus,” Zedd admonished him with a scowl.

“What I need is to get to Kahlan in Aydindril,” Richard snapped, opening his eyes to glare at his grandfather.

“You need to learn to control your Han if you want to help Kahlan,” Zedd shot back. “Now, try again.”

“Zedd, I don’t have time for this,” the Seeker ground out, his hands curling into tight fists.

“We have to rest the horses or they’ll drop from exhaustion,” the Wizard reminded him. “That will only slow us down and you know it.”

Richard reluctantly raised his hands out before him, his palms a couple of inches from Zedd’s. His eyebrows were knitted in obvious frustrated concentration as he attempted to reach out to manipulate his powerful magic.

“Now, concentrate,” his grandfather encouraged him. “Allow yourself to relax and to reach for it.”

Richard gritted his teeth, a sense of fear and foreboding rising up from deep within his core the closer he drew towards his magic. He felt a fierce trembling rise up within him, holding him in its grip and refusing to let go of him.

Zedd squeezed his eyes tighter against the overwhelming onslaught of emotions that roared to the surface in the Seeker. It nearly stole the air from his lungs, the intensity of it making him dizzy.

Unable to stand it a moment longer, Zedd suddenly pulled back with a sharp gasp, his eyes flying open in shock. Richard’s eyes were still screwed shut, an expression of pure anguish written on his face. A tear suddenly escaped from the corner of his eye and trickled down his cheek, quickly disappearing into the scruff that lined his jaw.

Zedd immediately reached for his grandson, gripping his shoulders and shaking him. Richard finally seemed to break free from the emotional storm that had consumed him, his eyes wild with fear as well as something more.

“Richard…are you alright?” Zedd asked, tightening his hold on the Seeker.

Richard was breathing heavily, his body shaking as he stared blankly at his grandfather as if he wasn’t even there. He tried to open his mouth to speak, but couldn’t quite get the words to form on his tongue.

“Richard,” Zedd said louder, shaking him again. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” he murmured as he fought to catch his breath. 

“What happened?”

“I’m not sure,” he shook his head, rubbing his face with his hands in an effort to regain control once more. “I just…I don’t know. What did you sense?”

“I felt great pain and anger within you,” Zedd told him. “Fear like I’ve never felt before. It seemed as if it was all centered around Kahlan.”

Richard quickly looked away with the mention of Kahlan’s name. Deep down, he had a feeling he knew why it had happened, but didn’t want to face it, understood what had suddenly risen up like a viper threatening to steal his sanity.

“Richard, what is it?” Zedd frowned, studying him. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“It’s nothing, Zedd,” he heatedly replied, refusing to meet his grandfather’s eyes.

“It didn’t feel like nothing, Richard,” he snapped, refusing to let up. “You were scared to death about Kahlan.”

“I’m just terrified of losing her,” he told him, getting up to his feet.

“I know you are, but there’s something more to it,” Zedd pressed, getting to his feet as well. “It was as if by touching your Han, you were afraid of finding something else.”

Richard released a ragged breath, turning his back to his grandfather, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “I’m afraid of having another vision.”

“A vision? What kind of vision did you have?”

“When we were on our way to Caprice to stop Sangria, I tried reaching out to touch my magic,” Richard finally admitted. “I had a vision of Kahlan…and another man.”

“Tristan Kabay,” Zedd suddenly said, the pieces falling into place.

Richard could only nod his head as he fought against the bitter jealousy that suddenly clogged his throat and seared through his veins. “I didn’t know it was him at the time…not until I came home from Caprice and saw him hugging Kahlan.”

“What did you see in the vision?”

“He was holding Kahlan’s hand…like he was taking her away from me,” he told him, his hand falling to the hilt of his sword. He caressed the steel for a long moment before finally continuing. “I didn’t understand what it meant until I saw Tristan; saw the way that he looked at Kahlan and found out that they had been engaged to be married before she came to Westland to find me.

“There have always been men who have looked at Kahlan with desire in their eyes, either appreciating her beauty or lusting after her and wanting her for their own.”

Zedd could hear the deadly anger and jealousy in his voice, noticed the death-grip he had on his sword now, but let him continue to speak. He needed to get these emotions out, not harbor them or allow them to fester.

“But not Tristan,” Richard continued, his chest growing tighter by the moment as he at last turned to face his grandfather. “There was only love and adoration in his eyes, not deranged or vile like Darken Rahl who only wanted to hurt her in order to get to me or obsessed and insane like Breydan Riley.”

“He looks at her the same way you do,” Zedd commented with a knowing look.

“Yes,” he whispered, afraid to test his voice. It felt like his stomach was in his boots, sick dread churning deep inside of him. He was ill to his very core.

A sudden hand on his shoulder broke through his tormented thoughts. “Richard, that doesn’t mean that Kahlan feels the same way about him,” Zedd gently reminded him.

“She deserves someone better than me, Zedd,” he choked out. “I really hurt her. I was so blinded by my own pna and feelings of failure that I didn’t even realize what I was really doing to her until it was too late.

“We had just lost the baby and Tristan was suddenly here and then…then she was gone.”

“Just because you feel like it’s over doesn’t mean that it truly is,” Zedd pointed out. “You place too little faith in Kahlan. Have you ever known her to just give up and walk away from anything especially when it involves you?

“Even after you pushed her away after Michael’s death, she still came after you, risking everything to save you from Sangria. Does that sound like a woman who won’t fight to keep you now?”

Richard snorted in response, folding his arms against his chest. “No, I guess not.”

“So what makes you think that she’s just going to give up the man that she loves now?”

Richard wanted more than anything to believe that was still true, wanted to cling to that hope with every fiber of his being, but he feared it was too late. He felt like vomiting.

“I broke her heart, Zedd…the very heart she entrusted me with,” he reminded him. “I blamed her for losing our baby. At the worst possible moment of our lives when she needed me to be there to hold her and share in her grief and tell her how much I loved her, I wasn’t there. I’ll never be able to forgive myself for that. How can I possibly expect her to?”

“You’re already giving up on her without even talking to her…fighting for her,” Zedd chided him. “Is Kahlan worth fighting for?”

“Yes, Zedd…you know she is,” Richard practically hissed, a scowl fixed firmly on his face.

“Then don’t give up hope just yet.”

Richard nodded his head, releasing a frustrated sigh. “You’re right,” he slowly nodded. “I just miss her so much I can hardly stand it another moment sometimes.”

“I know you do, my boy,” Zedd squeezed his shoulder. “I miss her too and those little great grandbabies of mine.”

Richard smiled softly with the reminder. “Once I get my family back, I’m never letting them go again.”

XXX

Kahlan entered the large extravagant ballroom of the Confessor’s Palace, doing her best to hide the constant ache of loneliness that sat like a rock in her chest. How many of these very same events had she and Richard attended together?”

It had always made her feel better knowing that Richard was here with her, always close by and ready to save her from boredom by whisking her away for a dance or back to their suite. Now, she was on her own, finding herself among a den of vipers that were possibly out to destroy her and Richard as well as the Empire they had formed. It made her nauseous to think about it.

Her lips suddenly curled into a wry smile as she wondered when she had become so dependent upon Richard, had come to rely so much on him. It had never bothered her to fend for herself at these events, knowing she could take care of herself.

And she knew that she still could. He just somehow always made it easier, much more tolerable. She just hadn’t realized how much a part of her Richard had become, how much she leaned on him and he on her. Now, though, she was on her own.

Kahlan didn’t have much time to ponder it all much further as the vipers began to descend upon her, greeting her with pleasant smiles and handshakes welcoming her home. She had tried telling Edmund and Aggie that a welcome home party was unnecessary, but they had insisted on it.

Tristan had been absolutely no help at all, taking their side and telling her later in private that it was the perfect opportunity to gather information on who could possibly be involved in the plot to overthrow Richard and destroy the Empire.

Looking at the sea of people before her now, Kahlan couldn’t help wondering who was plotting to stab them in the back at this very moment and who truly supported them.

Of course being in Aydindril, they should all know that she could tell who was lying to her and who was telling the truth. It would be interesting to see what actually came out of all of this tonight, what things would be unwittingly revealed to her.

Kahlan smiled pleasantly, greeting everyone with her usual poise and charm, graceful regality exuding with her every movement. It felt like everyone’s eyes were on her as she worked her way through the room, answering endless questions about her time at the People’s Palace as well as the children.

What hurt the most was having to explain Richard’s absence, telling them that he had important affairs that had required his attention and how much he truly regretted not being able to be here with them all in Aydindril.

The lie left a bitter taste on her tongue and stung her heart each and every time his name came up. Thankfully, Edmund had suddenly appeared at her side with a glass of wine, helping divert attention away from her husband and more important matters.

Neither he nor Aggie had pried into where Richard really was or why he was not with her and the children, but she knew they could tell things were definitely not the same as it had been between her and Richard last time they had been here.

“I’m anxious for Lord Rahl to return to Aydindril,” one representative told her. “He promised to go hunting with me next time he was back here.”

“I’m sure he still intends to keep that promise,” Kahlan reassured him with a warm smile.

Looking up over the lip of her wine glass as she took a drink, Kahlan suddenly spotted a gorgeous set of piercing blue eyes that caused her breath to catch in her throat. Tristan was staring intently at her from across the room, a look of obvious desire etched in his handsome face. There was no mistaking what he was thinking about and it caused a flutter in the pit of her stomach.

She felt warmth begin to suffuse her cheeks as she met his intense gaze. To say that she didn’t find him attractive would have been an out and out lie. Besides that, she had to admit the attention that he was showering upon her made her feel beautiful and desirable again.

It had been so long since Richard had looked at her like that, touched her…loved her. The last time they had made love, she’d practically had to seduce him. The emotional tempest storming inside of him that night had been more intense than she could’ve ever imagined.

He had been rough and desperate, his kisses bruising and his touch laced with anger as he took her. The reminder of that night caused fire to sear through her veins. It had been more raw need and aggression on both of their parts that had brought them together then true love making, resulting in that precious little life that she had lost.

It was out of a desperate need to connect, an almost animalistic necessity to unleash their pent up hurts and anger on one another, meeting together for a brief moment at that intimate precipice only to fall apart again right after that.

She knew she loved Richard with all her heart, but why then was Tristan having this unsettling affect on her now?

Kahlan began to make her way to him, weaving her way through the crowds, her pulse beginning to race as she drew near him. He smiled as she approached, his eyes never leaving her for one moment.

“You look stunning tonight,” Tristan softly said, almost rendered speechless by how beautiful she looked.

He hadn’t been able to take her eyes off of her since the moment she had first entered the room, aching inside for the moment when he could be near her. He quickly stuffed his hands into the pockets of his breeches to keep himself from touching her like he was so desperate to do.

“You look quite handsome yourself tonight,” she returned his smile, admiring how attractive he looked in his royal attire.

“How are you holding up?” Tristan asked, noticing the sorrow that permeated her sapphire eyes.

Kahlan released a weary sigh. “I’ve had better evenings,” she admitted. “Everyone wants to know where Richard is.”

“What are you telling them?” he ventured, hope lining his voice.

“That Richard had important matters that required his attention at the People’s Palace and that he sends his regrets,” Kahlan told him, keeping her voice low as her eyes scanned the crowded room. She could feel Tristan’s heated gaze on her.

“Kahlan…” Tristan began.

“Tristan, please…don’t…” Kahlan shook her head.

“Kahlan, if Richard truly loved you he’d be here with you right now, standing by your side,” he pressed. “He’s not here and he’s not coming.”

Kahlan’s throat immediately constricted painfully, tears welling up inside of her. Richard didn’t love her anymore, didn’t want to be with her. The thought nearly buckled her knees as she tightened her grip on her glass of wine.

“I’m not saying this to hurt you, but you need to face the fact that Richard made his choice and it wasn’t you,” Tristan continued, his tone a little gentler this time. “He’s not here, Kahlan…but I am.”

Kahlan quickly looked away, unable to breathe as she fought back the flood of tears that filled her throat. Her feelings were completely turned upside down, so jumbled and twisted that she didn’t know what to think or believe anymore.

Tristan sighed; pinching the bridge of his nose as regret suddenly filled him. “I’m sorry, Kahlan,” he finally said. “I promised you that I wouldn’t pressure you. It’s just that I can see how much you’re hurting and it’s killing me inside. I want to make you smile, make you happy like you deserve.”

“I know,” she whispered, unable to find her voice at that moment. “Maybe you’re right. He isn’t coming and I need to start accepting it.”

Tristan’s hand slipped from his pocket to take hers, gently squeezing it. “I’m truly sorry, Kahlan,” he softly told her. “I know this is horribly difficult to accept, but I’m here for you. Never forget that.”

He quickly released her hand before anyone spotted them, knowing he needed to change the subject. “Have you been able to pick up on anything yet?”

“No, not yet,” she shook her head, the loose curls falling to frame her face bouncing slightly with the movement. “I need to talk to some of the members of the Council to see if I can find out anything.”

“Be careful,” Tristan warned her. “We don’t want to tip anyone off that we’re on to their plans. I also don’t want you in anymore danger than you’re already in.”

“You worry too much, Tristan,” Kahlan frowned. “I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t doubt that, but everyone needs someone to look out for them…even the powerful Mother Confessor,” Tristan reminded her.

A wistful smile momentarily tugged at her lips with his response only to quickly fall away. “Richard always used to tell me the same thing.”

Tristan couldn’t keep his body from tensing with the reference to Richard Rahl. “Well, it’s true…even for you, Kahlan.”

“Kahlan Rahl,” Cyrus Lang greeted her as he approached them. “It’s so good to have you home, Mother Confessor.”

“Cyrus,” Kahlan smiled at the welcomed familiar face. “It’s so kind of you to come tonight. It’s good to see you as well.”

“What brings you back to Aydindril?” he casually asked. “Nothing serious I hope.”

“No, just time to visit,” she replied.

“I was sorry to learn that your husband couldn’t make the trip with you,” Cyrus said. “I hope that there isn’t trouble brewing back at the People’s Palace.”

“No, no trouble at all,” Kahlan said with a confident smile that she wasn’t feeling at the moment. “Everything has been coming together very well with the formation of the D’Haran Empire. I’m very proud of all that Richard has been able to accomplish.”

Kahlan intently watched his face as she spoke, looking for any signs of ill feelings towards them. She hated the idea of Cyrus Lang being involved in anything even remotely treasonous against them. He had always been one of her biggest supporters over the years, someone she thought she could trust.

“I’m glad to hear that things are going so well,” Cyrus smiled broadly as he took a sip of his wine. “We are all very proud of what the Seeker has been able to accomplish with the new Empire. Now, if you’ll please excuse me, I need to speak with Edmund. I hope that you enjoy your visit.”

“Thank you, Cyrus,” she replied, keeping her Confessor’s mask firmly in place despite the anger suddenly flaring inside of her as he walked away.

After he was out of earshot, Tristan leaned in close to Kahlan. “Well?”

“He’s part of it,” she firmly replied, her gaze focused on the man as he talked to Edmund. “He was lying when he talked about Richard and the D’Haran Empire.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Tristan frowned. “Come, let’s see if we can find out anything more.”

From the corner of the room, Trevor Bail’s attention was fixed solely on Tristan Kabay and Kahlan Rahl as they began to move through the crowds, his eyes glowing softly from the shadows that partially concealed him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 13

Kahlan’s icy blue gaze swept over the Council assembled around her, men and women from every part of the territory formerly known as the Midlands seated around the massive table that stretched out before her.

These were people that she had known since she’d come to the Confessor’s Palace to train as a Confessor as a young girl. A few of the faces before her had changed at times over the years as representatives passed on, some stepping down and others being forced out by the region that they represented. However, the prevalent feelings of unity and strivings for a common good were always there for the most part.

Now, though, there was an underlying current of tension and distrust, conflict brewing. Was it just she that felt it or could they feel it too?

As her probing gaze met the eyes of each and every member, Kahlan couldn’t help but wonder who was truly loyal to the D’Haran Empire and who was secretly out to destroy them. From the party a couple of nights before, she had been able to determine at least five Council members were lying about their support for the Empire and Richard, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were part of the secret plot to overthrow it.

They needed to find some pretty damning information if they were going to be able to put a stop to this before people got hurt. She didn’t want to jump too quickly or run the risk of failing to capture all of those involved in the plan.

She didn’t want to just cut off the head of the traitorous beast; she wanted to flush out every single vile member before going after this Kao C’Id.

Kahlan shifted in her seat, crossing her legs and forcing herself to focus on the meeting at hand. She cast a sidelong glance at Tristan who was sitting a couple of seats down from her on her left. His focus was on the man directly across the table from him who was presenting his views on a land dispute matter.

They had only been able to meet up for lunch yesterday to discuss the things that they had been able to gather so far. Unfortunately, it still wasn’t much and definitely not enough to indict anyone for treason.

Tristan had been surreptitiously trying to find out anything he could on this Kao C’Id, but had come up with nothing so far. Whoever this mysterious man was, he was not someone from this area, but seemed to have taken great interest in Aydindril or possibly more.

Kahlan couldn’t help but wonder just how far this Kao C’Id’s interest truly extended. Did it reach clear to the People’s Palace, the entire D’Haran Empire? If so, she was going to do everything in her power to make sure he didn’t get to Richard.

Even if he didn’t love her or want her anymore, she couldn’t deny her heart or the fact that it beat for Richard. It probably always would no matter what their future held.

She didn’t know what to do, though. Part of her wanted to fight for him with all that she had; doing everything she could to win him back and keep their family together. Then there was the other part of her that was still very anger and hurt over how Richard had treated her, turning his back on her when she had needed him the most. 

How could she forgive that and yet how could she not? It was her Richard.

When she had needed him to pull her close and hold her and reassure her, he had turned his back on her. He had pushed her away and blamed her for losing their unborn baby, had been furious with her for coming to rescue him instead of being happy that he was back with his family. 

Kahlan felt her simmering anger growing hotter by the moment, remembering how hard they had fought…how hard Richard had fought…for them to be together and now he was so willing to just throw their love and marriage away as if it meant nothing to him at all…she meant nothing at all.

She suddenly felt the heat of Tristan’s eyes on her, but refused to meet his intense gaze. She needed to rein in her anger and focus on what they were here for – gathering answers and evidence, not dwelling over things that she couldn’t change or fix right now.

She waited until Edmund was done with his part of the afternoon’s extensive agenda, knowing it would be her turn next. She was anxiously waiting to do what she had been planning. She was going to make them squirm a little bit; see what she could stir up without letting on that she knew what was going on.

“And now, I will turn things over to the Mother Confessor,” Edmund announced, stepping aside and allowing Kahlan to take over.

From her ornate chair at the head of the table, Kahlan looked out over the faces staring patiently back at her, some with expectant hope and interest, others stone-faced and refusing to reveal their true feelings.

“I wanted to personally thank you all for the warm welcome I received at the party the other night,” she began, smiling pleasantly. “It’s good to be back in Aydindril although regrettably Richard could not accompany me this time due to some issues that required his attention.

“While I’m here, I would like to further align Aydindril with how things are being run at the People’s Palace now that we are all one within the D’Haran Empire. Having said that, I would like to hear what your thoughts are on the matter of the newly formed Empire. Are there any issues or concerns that you would like to discuss?”

Kahlan allowed her eyes to roam over the faces of those staring back at her, no one even flinching under her hard gaze. The tension in the room was suffocating, growing more so by the moment as everyone sat like statues, afraid of speaking what was truly on their minds.

Some of them knew there was something brewing among some of the members, a possible threat to Lord and Lady Rahl, but chose to remain silent, refusing to get involved and just hoping it would all go away. Others were ignorant to the disgruntled attitudes of some of their fellow members, their hearts and loyalty fully pledged to the House of Rahl and the D’Haran Empire.

Then there were those who secretly hated Richard Rahl, despised the blood that flowed through his veins, believing all Rahls were nothing but wickedness incarnate. They were determined to save Aydindril and restore the Midlands to its former glory, destroying anything remotely connected to D’Hara.

Staring at the men and women before her, Kahlan decided to play whatever game they wanted to play, not afraid of facing this head-on. “I’m glad that everyone is pleased with the formation of the Empire,” she smiled brightly as she stood to her feet, her hands clasped in front of her. “This has been an enormous endeavor unifying our two territories, one that we hope will further peace and prosperity for everyone.

“If there truly are issues that you have with this union, then I want to hear about it now so that we can work together to solve any concerns. Richard and I want everyone’s full support and involvement in this process.”

Kahlan’s eyes fell on Linus Bertram who seemed to visibly shrink under her scrutinizing gaze, his face growing paler by the moment. She thought that he was actually going to pass out as sweat broke out across his brow.

“Do you have any concerns, Mr. Bertram?” Kahlan asked.

“What?” he choked out in shock, his eyes growing wide. “Nn…no…no, of course not, Mother Confessor. We’re all very pleased with the wonderful progress you and Lord Rahl have made with unifying our two territories.”

“So you are happy with all of the changes that Richard and I are making?” she pointedly questioned him, watching him sink a little further in his seat.

“Of course, Mother Confessor,” Linus swallowed hard, lowering his head.

“Then everything is perfect in your region,” she said as more of a statement than a question.

“Well, I…I don’t know about perfect…but…I…”

“You what, Mr. Bertram?” she pressed, her raven eyebrow quirked in curiosity. “So you do have issues with the new Empire?”

“Yes…I mean, no…” Linus stammered, patting his brow with his handkerchief.

Cyrus Lang suddenly stood to his feet from his seat beside Linus, knowing he needed to come to his rescue before he completely spilled his guts regarding the secret Alliance and Kao C’Id. “I believe what Linus is trying to say is that there are always problems that need to be dealt with within any new union between very different territories, but that we are more than capable of handling them ourselves.”

Kahlan folded her arms against her chest as she stared down Cyrus. “So there are problems that we need to address?”

“I’m sure it’s nothing that we as representatives and ambassadors can’t handle on our own, Mother Confessor,” Cyrus replied with a respectful tone.

“Why don’t you allow me to be the judge of that, Mr. Lang?” Kahlan smiled warmly, her sapphire eyes flashing with resolve as well as a warning.

“I just meant to say that I’m sure it’s not anything that we need to burden the Mother Confessor with,” Cyrus amended. “I’m sure that you have much more pressing issues that require your attention.”

Kahlan studied him for a long moment before responding. “I’ve always been interested in the concerns and problems of the people no matter how insignificant they might seem.”

There was a definite hard edge to her voice that was unmistakable. There was a faint yet audible snort of disagreement from somewhere further down the table, one that ended in a throat clearing cough. Kahlan’s eyes snapped in the direction of the noise to find everyone staring at the table except for Trevor Bail who met her frown with a somewhat amused glare of his own.

“Someone obviously disagrees with that sentiment,” she coolly stated. “So it seems that there is a feeling of neglect on my part?”

“Only that you seem to be more concerned about the People’s Palace and the D’Haran Empire than you are about Aydindril – the place where you grew up, trained you , and shaped you into the Mother Confessor you are today.”

Instead of shying away, Kahlan welcomed the criticism, more than anxious to get some of this tension out in the open. While she wasn’t ready to divulge the fact she knew about the coup that was being planned, she was not going to come across as ignorant to the obvious tension that surrounded her.

She was still the Mother Confessor and the ruling authority over the D’Haran Empire along with Richard and she’d be damned if anyone tried to change that.

Kahlan stared Trevor down as all eyes locked solely on her, waiting with bated breath for her response. “I’m sorry that you feel that way, Mr. Bail,” she calmly replied despite the blaze of anger burning through her at that moment. “I assume by the silence there are some others here who feel the same way as you do.

“You all know that Aydindril and the Midlands have always been my first love and priority. I have spent my life fighting for it. That hasn’t changed despite my marriage to Lord Rahl and the formation of the Empire.”

“Hasn’t it?” Bail suddenly countered. “Haven’t you allowed Lord Rahl to taint your view of things, brainwash you into following him in his deluded ways?”

“So you believe that I can no longer think for myself? That my actions are dictated by my husband and that I blindly follow his lead?” she bit out, the heat of her indignant rage burning through in her every word. “I believe you all know me far better than that.”

“But doesn’t the ancient saying go ‘love is blind’?” Trevor shot back with a steely glare despite the twisted smirk on his lips. “Can’t you at least admit to the possibility that your infamous love for the Seeker and Lord Rahl has blinded you to what is really going on around you? He’s manipulating you and you don’t even realize it.”

Cyrus Lang sat there in stunned silence, his weathered hands tightly gripping the armrests of his chair. He could hardly believe what was happening. Had Trevor completely lost his mind by openly challenging the Mother Confessor in public before the whole Council like this?

He was going to ruin everything that they had spent months working on, destroying everything that they had fought so long and hard for. He couldn’t allow that to happen, not now when they were so close to realizing their dream.

Cyrus suddenly shot to his feet, hoping to diffuse the rapidly heating situation before their true intentions were brought to the light, before they were truly ready to strike. “Enough, Trevor!” Cyrus heatedly stated, his voice gruff and commanding. “You have gone too far.”

“Am I no longer allowed to speak my mind?” Trevor turned his glower on Cyrus. “I thought freedom of speech was something that was still upheld in Aydindril or has that been abolished by the D’Haran Empire as well?”

“Gentleman,” Kahlan finally interjected. “I believe it would be best to end the meeting now and allow some time for everyone to cool down. Let’s meet again tomorrow when we can further address these issues. You are dismissed.”

Cyrus and Trevor continued to glare at one another as everyone began to leave, no one speaking let alone breathing at that tense moment. Kahlan’s gaze fell on Tristan who was looking at her with an expression of pure relief on his face.

She could tell that he had feared things were only going to spiral further out of control to the point of violence or true rebellion right there in the Council Chambers. She had to admit that she had felt the same way.

Tristan released the breath that he’s been holding as he stood up from his seat. He needed to talk to Kahlan alone as soon as possible.

XXX

Kahlan was walking down the corridor, her hands clenched at her sides, her fury thrumming wildly through her veins. How dare those insolent men think for one moment that she had been blindly following Richard or that he was some vile tyrant just like his ancestors had been.

The more she thought about it, the more furious she became. They had only proven their dissidence with their display today and she was not going to stand for it. She was more certain than ever now of Trevor Bail’s involvement.

Walking past an open door, Kahlan suddenly felt a strong hand firmly grab hold of her arm, roughly pulling her into an empty room. Her hand instinctively went for the person’s throat as she spun on her heel only to find herself staring into Tristan’s piercing blue eyes.

He quickly closed the door and locked it before turning his attention on her. “Kahlan…”

“Tristan, what are you doing? I almost confessed you!” she hissed.

“You know I don’t care about that. I’m not afraid of your magic,” he frowned, grabbing hold of her upper arms. “Kahlan, you need to get out of here right away.”

“What do you mean?” she demanded to know, her anger still simmering beneath the surface. “I’m not going anywhere. You were right about everything, Tristan. Aydindril is in serious trouble.”

“No, Kahlan, I was wrong…very wrong to bring you here,” Tristan scowled, furious with himself. “It’s far worse than even I had thought. It’s too dangerous for you to be here. I don’t think Trevor Bail will hesitate to kill you.”

“Let him try,” her blue eyes flashed dangerously, her chest beginning to heave.

“Kahlan, please listen to me,” Tristan growled. “You need to leave Aydindril immediately before they kill you. I foolishly thought that your presence here would help calm things, but it’s far past that now. They only see you as the enemy along with Richard.”

“Tristan, I am not going anywhere,” Kahlan yelled. “I have never run from a fight before and I’m not about to start now. Aydindril is in very real danger of falling into traitorous hands and I’m not about to let that happen. If we don’t stop this now, it’ll only spread like a virus through the entire Empire and right into the People’s Palace.”

Tristan huffed angrily releasing his hold on her and turning his back to her. “Damn stubborn woman,” he furiously grumbled under his breath. “You’re determined to get yourself killed, aren’t you?”

Kahlan moved towards him, coming to a stop behind him. “Tristan, this is my life…my duty. It was what I was born to do. I can’t turn my back on my responsibility or Aydindril just because it’s dangerous. I have to do everything in my power to stop this before people get hurt or before the city falls into the wrong hands.”

Tristan drew a deep shuddering breath, his chin falling to his chest in defeat. “I can’t lose you, Kahlan,” he softly said. “I don’t know if I can live through it again.”

Kahlan gently laid a tentative hand on his back, feeling his muscles tense beneath her palm before his shoulders slumped even further. “I’m sorry, Tristan,” she replied, her voice full of regret and heartache. “I never meant to hurt you and I don’t want to hurt you now, but I can’t walk away from this.”

“Then all I guess I can do is try to protect you with my life,” he told her, turning to look her in the eye. “I promise you I won’t let anyone hurt you or your children.”

XXX

“What in the name of the Creator were you thinking?” Cyrus hissed as he stalked towards Trevor at the head of the table in their secret meeting place behind the tavern. “You practically gave us away.”

He’d been fuming ever since the meeting this afternoon, waiting for the chance to confront him at the meeting tonight. Now that he was finally here, he could barely contain his anger.

“Calm yourself, Cyrus,” Trevor evenly replied. “I did no such thing. I merely wanted the Mother Confessor to see that there are real problems that need to be addressed. I wanted to see how she would react to it, knowing that there was discord among her precious Council.”

“And what did you discover?” Cyrus snapped.

“Her loyalties truly lie with her husband,” Trevor said, taking his seat at the head of the table.

Cyrus stared at him for a long heated moment, watching as the shadows of the dimly lit room flickered across his face. The stench of alcohol mingled with vomit filled the air, nearly making him gag. 

This was not the same man that he’d known for more years than he could remember nor was he even the same man that had started this whole new Alliance with him months ago. Trevor had definitely changed and not for the better.

Cyrus opened his mouth to speak again only to be stopped by the soft gasps of his fellow Alliance members. Turning on his heel, he found himself staring up into the face of one of the largest men that he’d ever laid eyes on.

The beast of a man towered over him, the left side of his face riddled with scars that crisscrossed like a deformed spider web over his dark skin. His eyes glowed a frightening shade of red that made Cyrus’s skin crawl.

His black hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, his lips twisted into a sneer. He was dressed in black armor that covered his broad chest, but left his massive muscular arms bare for all to see. They too were marred with countless battle scars that told a story of a very hard life lived and fought for.

His expression was a fierce glower that nearly buckled Cyrus’s knees, but his eyes were almost amused in a perverse unexpected way. His large hand rested on the hilt of his sword that hung at his hip. He was obviously more than prepared for battle by the armament that adorned his imposing figure.

“You must be the great Kao C’Id,” Trevor spoke from behind Cyrus, getting down on his knees in humble reverence.

Everyone quickly followed Trevor’s example except for Cyrus who was too shocked to move, his legs like lead planted to the floor boards. What in the name of the Creator had they gotten themselves into?

“If I would have known you were coming so soon, I would’ve prepared a feast for your arrival,” Trevor addressed the man before them, his head lowered.

“Did you not receive my communication announcing my coming to Aydindril?” Kao asked, causing Cyrus’s inside to tremble. His voice was like rolling thunder that vibrated in his chest.

“No, my Lord,” Trevor shook his head, keeping his gaze lowered.

“I see,” Kao simply said. “You need to prepare some men at once. Richard Rahl approaches from the southeast. He will be here in less than two days time.”

“So he is on his way to Aydindril,” Trevor murmured, more to himself than to the hulk of a man looming before him. “We will prepare some men to intercept him immediately. He will not make it to Aydindril.”

“Good, see to it that he doesn’t,” Kao commanded.

“And what of the Mother Confessor Kahlan Rahl?” Trevor inquired, looking up at the man through his eyelashes.

“Leave her to me,” Kao grinned, revealing a set of dark yellowed teeth. “I want to deal with her personally.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 14

Kahlan laid curled up on her side all alone in her big bed that she used to share with Richard, her every muscle drawn tight with the nightmare that consumed her. One hand was clenched tightly beneath her pillow, her other hand clawing at the sheets beneath her in an effort to grasp onto to some sort of reality, some link to the world that lives outside the realm of sleep and dreams that ripped at your very soul.

_“The end is coming, Kahlan Rahl…there is nothing you can do to prevent it…”_

“No…” she softly moaned in her sleep, her forehead creased in fear. “No…stop it…”

Fear tore at her insides, shredding her hope and besieging her resolve in an effort to destroy it. She struggled in her mind, trying to break free from the nightmare that held her tightly within its grasp, but refused to let her go.

She rolled onto her back, her head lolling from side to side as she squeezed her eyes tighter closed against the haunting figure that suddenly filled her mind. It was a beast of a man with long black hair pulled into a tight ponytail, the left side of his face deformed with several hideous scars. He wore a necklace of teeth around his neck…human teeth.

_“I’m coming for you, Kahlan Rahl…I’m taking down your family and Aydindril with you…”_

“No…please…” she began to cry in her sleep, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes, rolling down the sides of her face and disappearing into her raven hair. 

Her fingers dug into the sheets again, curling the fabric around her digits and twisting it in her hands as she arched her back, silently begging to be released from the terror that had her trapped inside of her mind.

_“You will not escape me, Mother Confessor…I am Kao C’Id and I will have what is rightfully mine…”_

Kahlan was forced to watch in horror as Kao began slaying the people of Aydindril one by one, their bodies falling lifelessly to the ground as their blood soaked the earth a deep dark red. The entire city was on fire, not one part of it safe from the flames that licked at every single thing within its reach.

Flames and black smoke poured out of the Wizard’s Keep and the Confessor’s Palace, screams filling her ears as she fought to move, to get to them as quickly as possible but her legs refused to move. She cried out in horror as he slaughtered Tristan, Frederick, Zedd, Cara, Nicci, and Garren…even Holland and Rachel, each falling by his blade one after the other.

She screamed as Richard suddenly appeared before her, begging for him to run and save himself before she lost him too. The Sword of Truth was gripped tightly in her husband’s hands, but he was no match for the massive giant of a man looming over him. In a couple fatal swings of the sword, her Richard fell dead, his cold empty eyes staring at her as his blood poured from his wounds.

“Richard!” she screamed in her sleep, her mind and body no longer her own but someone else’s.

Next, her precious children appeared, a daughter in each hand and her son lying on the ground at Kao’s feet. “Let my children go!” Kahlan wailed with a deadly roar of a mother desperate to save her children.

Kao only laughed in response, his head thrown back as his taunting chortle rumbled through the air and shook the very ground beneath her feet. “I show mercy for no one…least of all you or your pitiful children…the House of Rahl will end this night…”

Kahlan suddenly lurched forward out of her sleep, her chest heaving and her skin drenched with sweat. Her face was wet with tears, her entire body trembling uncontrollably. She tried to catch her breath, but she couldn’t. The panic that raked through was overpowering, uncontrollable.

She sat there for several seconds just listening to the sounds around her, her own exerted gasps filling the room. She could hear the crickets softly chirping their nighttime song outside, a gentle breeze coming through the windows causing the sheer curtains to flutter and snap softly.

Her blood still pounded mercilessly in her ears as she finally threw the covers back and got up on shaky legs to stand by the bed. She ran her hands over her face, attempting to gather herself once more, but it was near impossible with what she had just experienced.

It was so real, so devastating that she was more than terrified to close her eyes again. She went to the balcony doors, opening them to find the moon still high in the night sky, the city still blanketed in sleep. In the distance, she could hear the soft rhythmic clinking of chainmail as Aydindril guards performed their nightly patrol. It would be several hours before dawn yet.

She closed her eyes, drawing deep breaths in a futile effort to cleanse the demons from her mind, trying to make her body her own again. She could smell the faint scent of rain in the air, a storm rolling in from the west no doubt.

Closing the doors, Kahlan went to the table where a pitcher waited for her. She poured herself a glass of water only to find her hands still shaking uncontrollably. Using both hands, she managed to drink the water down, thankful for the liquid against her parched throat.

She silently made her way to her daughters’ room, opening the door to find them both still sound asleep, each one curled up in their own beds. A soft smile touched her lips as she fought the urge to gather them up in her arms and hold them tight and never let go.

Spirits, she loved her daughters more than her own life, would willingly lay down her life for them without question or thought.

Closing the door behind her, she went to Aiden’s room, peering inside to find him sleeping as well. Going to the bassinet, she reached over and gently stroked his head as she watched him sleep, looking so much like Richard it made her breath catch in her chest. She couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her children. She’d lose her own life before that would ever happen.

Leaving her son’s room, Kahlan settled herself on a couch that sat before the empty fireplace. Memories of sleeping on this couch or on the floor before the crackling fire after Richard had left her to claim the throne suddenly seeped into her mind. It had been one of the hardest times of her life, discovering she was with child and not being able to share it with her husband.

She couldn’t help but smile softly as she remembered waking up that night to find Richard kneeling before her. It had been one of the most passionate nights of their lives, making love for hours and celebrating the little lives that they had made before he’d left her.

Despite the fond memory of that night, Kahlan couldn’t shake the overwhelming feelings of dread and panic that still churned deep within her, the nightmare so fresh in her mind. She got up, forcing herself to climb into bed despite the terror that gripped her heart.

She leaned her back against the headboard as she pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and curling herself into a ball. She pressed her forehead against her knees, feeling so lost and alone at that moment she could barely breathe. She wished Richard was here with her, holding her and telling her everything was going to be alright again.

She was desperate to feel the strength and comfort that his arms always brought her, the way his voice always managed to soothe her soul. She needed to gaze into his deep chestnut eyes and find the faith that she wasn’t feeling at that moment.

Tears suddenly leaked from her eyes as she drew a shuddering breath that caused her whole body to tremble. “Richard…I need you…” she softly sobbed. “Spirits, I need you…”

Why couldn’t he love her anymore? How had everything fallen so far apart, creating such a heart-rending abyss between them?

Kahlan felt the deep ache in her chest blossom and spread to consume her whole as she eventually cried herself to sleep only find that Kao C’Id was there waiting for her to begin the nightmare all over again.

XXX

“Something is definitely going on around here,” Garren scowled as he stared out the window to the city below, watching as the rising sun brought in a new day. His muscular arms were crossed against his broad chest, his back to the others gathered around the table. “Someone is determined to stir up trouble in the People’s Palace and we have to find out who it is before someone really gets hurt.”

“We’ve had reports of three more incidents in the marketplace of someone trying to incite riots against Lord and Lady Rahl since yesterday,” Holland frowned.

“Is it always one person causing the trouble each time or a group of people?” Nicci asked from across the table.

“One person and always a man,” Holland informed them. “It’s never a woman.”

Nicci nodded her head as she considered this information. “Does he receive much support for his efforts?”

“Not much, maybe a handful of people,” Cara replied from her perch sitting on the edge of the table. “For the most part, it just turns into an out and out brawl.”

“So the D’Harans are taking offense with the allegations against Richard and Kahlan,” Nicci said more as a statement than a question.

“Yes, the majority do, but you always have that few who like to help stir up trouble, jumping in just because they can,” Holland replied.

“Were you able to get anything from the men that you’re arrested?” the sorceress asked.

“Nothing,” Cara huffed in annoyance. “They either don’t know anything or they refuse to talk. We need Kahlan here to confess them to get any real information out of them.”

Cara cast a glance at her husband, noticing the tight set of his shoulders, his rigid posture telling her how much all of this trouble had angered him. He already felt that he had failed Richard after Kahlan went to Caprice. Worse yet, Richard had pretty much told him as much, only adding to her husband’s guilt.

And now with all of this trouble brewing at the People’s Palace in Richard’s absence, she was certain Garren was feeling the extreme weight of it all, feeling as though he was letting Richard down all over again, but it couldn’t have been any further from the truth.

Cara wanted to go to him, to pull him into her arms and remind him that this didn’t lie squarely on his shoulders to prevent, but this wasn’t the place or the time. She’d have to wait until they were all alone to do that.

“I can’t help but think this is somehow related to the trouble brewing in Aydindril that Tristan told Kahlan about,” Garren finally said. “It’s too much of a coincidence for there to be unrest building in the two ruling cities of the D’Haran Empire. This is being orchestrated by someone.”

“Hopefully if Kahlan can squelch the trouble brewing in Aydindril, it will also take care of the trouble here as well,” Holland added.

“I just hope that Richard can get to her in time,” Nicci ominously said, her eyes distant with thought.

Everyone looked up sharply at the sorceress including Garren standing at the window who turned to stare at her. “What do you know that you’re not telling us?” Cara asked.

Nicci looked into the sets of eyes trained on her. “There’s a prophecy about Richard, Kahlan, and their children that Zedd uncovered…and I’m afraid that it’s not good.”

“Another one?” Cara cried. “And when is it ever good?”

“What’s this one about?” Garren asked.

“It talks about a powerful storm that will blow in from the north, descending like an unforeseen plague to destroy the bonded gifted,” Nicci sighed heavily. “It says if the bonded gifted are broken, the twins will turn one to the right and one to the left.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Cara growled.

“One daughter will fight for good and the daughter will fight for the side of evil,” Nicci informed them.

A low whistle of shock came from Holland at the same time that Cara cursed under breath. Garren turned to stare out the window again, feeling as though things couldn’t possibly get any worse especially after all that they’d already been through the last several weeks.

How much more could his friends truly take? Their marriage was already suffering and on the verge of breaking because of all they’d been forced to endure recently. How much more could they handle before finally cracking under the terrible strain?

“Whatever the cause we need to be prepared for anything,” Holland finally stated, breaking the thick tension that had suddenly filled the room.

“Do you think we should try to send word to Kahlan that there’s trouble here at the People’s Palace as well?” Cara asked.

“No,” Nicci quickly replied. “Richard was adamant about no communication through the journey books until we know more about what’s going on. He feared someone getting their hands on it, putting Kahlan in more danger than she’s already in.”

“We’ve got to do something,” Garren ground out. “We can’t just sit back and let Richard and Kahlan be destroyed by Creator knows what.”

“I’m afraid there’s not much more we can do,” Nicci told them, shaking her head in regret. “Until we hear from Richard and Kahlan, we have to do what we think is best for now and hope they’ll be alright.”

XXX

“Kahlan, you look terrible,” Tristan frowned in concern as he watched the Mother Confessor approach. “What happened?”

“Kao C’Id happened,” she snapped as she continued walking, not bothering to wait to see if Tristan was going to follow her or not. 

“What?” Tristan exclaimed, grabbing Kahlan’s arm and pulling her to a stop. “Kahlan, what happened? Talk to me.”

Kahlan drew a deep breath, forcing back the biting retort that lingered on her tongue. It wasn’t Tristan’s fault that she had gotten so little sleep last night or that a madman had haunted what little sleep that she had gotten.

“I saw Kao C’Id in my dreams,” she softly told him, rubbing her forehead before pulling a lock of hair behind her ear.

“What kind of dreams?” he pressed, pulling her aside in the corridor so they could talk privately without prying ears. The rumor mill here at the Confessor’s Palace definitely rivaled that at the People’s Palace.

Kahlan looked around her as well, making sure that no one was lingering near them before she finally spoke. “He told me that we weren’t going to stop him,” she admitted, fighting back the rage that burned in her throat. “He then killed you, my father, all of my friends before finally…he…he killed Richard. He began to strangle my daughters when I suddenly woke up.”

Stunned, Tristan could barely make his mind function as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Kahlan, I’m so sorry.”

“Not as sorry as Kao is going to be once I get my hands on him,” she hissed, her eyes like twin smoldering flames of rage, her hands clenched tightly at her sides.

“How do you think he was able to get into your dreams like that?”

“I have no idea, but it was so real, Tristan,” she shook her head, her eyes growing distant. “I could hear the cries of those he killed, smelled the stench of burning flesh as he razed Aydindril to the ground, felt my life being ripped out of my body as he began killed Richard…began to strangle my daughters.”

Tristan watched as Kahlan rubbed her arms, shivering though it was far from cold. Without a second thought, he quickly pulled her into his arms and held her close. “I wish I had known so I could’ve been there for you,” he whispered into her hair.

Kahlan clung to him, fighting back the tears that rose in her throat, but she wasn’t about to let them form. “We need to get my father, Katrina, and my children out of Aydindril right away before Kao truly strikes. They aren’t safe here.”

“We can send them to Tashon,” Tristan reassured her, rubbing her back. “I’ll have my men personally escort them. It’s not far from Aydindril, but it’s far enough that they’ll be safe there. When this is all over, you can send for them to return to Aydindril.”

“Thank you, Tristan,” she said, pulling back to look at him. “I couldn’t get through this without you.”

“Kahlan, you never need to thank me,” he sincerely told her. “I just wish I could talk you into going with them, leave this Kao and Trevor Bail to me.”

“I’m not leaving,” she firmly stated. “I have to find this Kao C’Id before he launches an attack on Aydindril.”

“Kahlan!”

The Mother Confessor turned to find Edmund coming towards them, a panicked expression lighting his face. “What is it?” she asked.

“A riot broke out in the marketplace this morning, several were injured…one person was killed,” Edmund informed her.

“What started it?” Tristan demanded to know.

“Someone began ranting against the Mother Confessor and Lord Rahl, stating that you both should be removed from ruling the D’Haran Empire,” Edmund replied. “They say you’ve turned your back on Aydindril and the Midlands.”

“I have never turned my back on Aydindril or the Midlands,” Kahlan ground out. “Richard and I have only done what we felt was best for both territories.”

“We know that, Kahlan,” Tristan reassured her, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. “It’s just someone trying to stir up trouble.”

“Did the Aydindril army put a stop to it?” Kahlan asked, her forehead creased with worry.

“Yes, the man who started the riot has been arrested,” Edmund told her. “He’s in the dungeons awaiting your arrival.”

“I’m going down to talk to him right away,” Kahlan replied, turning to leave. “We have to find out what’s going on.”

“Kahlan, I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Tristan shook his head, grabbing hold of her arm and forcing her to stop. “It could be some sort of a trap.”

“It’s a risk that I have to take, Tristan,” the Mother Confessor bit out. “We have to get to the bottom of this before Kao makes his move. If I can confess him, he might be able to give us some valuable information.”

“Kao?” Edmund frowned in confusion looking from Kahlan to Tristan and back again. “Who is Kao?”

Kahlan looked to Tristan was silently shaking his head no, but she knew they had no choice now. “Edmund, there’s a plot brewing in Aydindril to overtake the city and possibly the entire Empire and we believe that a man names Kao C’Id could be behind it all.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Edmund asked.

“Yes, Tristan came to the People’s Palace with concerns about a possible revolt brewing in Aydindril,” she admitted. “I came to investigate, see if there was something that I could do to smooth things over, but it seems that it’s far too late for that.”

Edmund drew a deep breath, considering what she had just told him. “I thought that I could deal with it, but obviously I was wrong,” he regretfully said. “I’m sorry, Tristan. I should’ve believed you, but I thought you were overreacting, that it was just rumblings that I could handle. I made a mistake and I’m very sorry.”

Kahlan’s hand found Edmund’s arm, squeezing it affectionately. “Edmund, none of this is your fault,” she told him. “Now, we need your help to try to save Aydindril before it’s too late. Let’s go down and see what we can find out from this man who started the riot.”

Edmund slowly nodded his head in agreement as he followed Tristan and Kahlan. It felt as though the world had just suddenly spiraled so wildly out of control, everything falling apart around them. He just prayed to the good spirits they could stop it before they lost everything.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 15

Kahlan marched down towards the dungeons that lay in the bowels of the Confessor’s Palace, more than determined to get the information they so desperately needed to put an end to this once and for all. She was not going to let this go on for too much longer before finally taking down Trevor Bail and Cyrus Lang permanently.

She had no idea how much longer before Kao C’Id made his appearance, but she wasn’t going to sit back and wait for him to just show up and take over her city. She didn’t know how she knew that it was Kao C’Id in her dreams last night, but she knew with every fiber of her being that he was the monster that was coming to destroy everything that she and Richard had worked so hard for, the one who had sent her those messages in her sleep.

“Kahlan, I wish that you would listen to me,” Tristan scowled as quickly walked to keep up with the determined Mother Confessor’s pace. “Let me talk to him and see what I can find out. If I can’t get anything out of him, then you can go in and confess him.”

“Tristan, this not my first time in the dungeons confessing prisoners,” Kahlan angrily reminded him, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. “I did this for years before I even left to find the Seeker in Westland and I’m the Mother Confessor now. I will not turn my back on my duties.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it,” he shot back with equal anger.

Kahlan released a frustrated breath, hooking a raven curl behind her ear as she nodded to the prison guard who greeted them. She knew that Tristan cared deeply about her and was worried for her safety, but she had to do this if she was going to save Aydindril, protect Richard and her family.

Besides, she had done this at least a couple of times a week for years before going after Richard. It was a part of her duties that she had always detested, but had recognized the necessity of it all. She hated how the horrifying things that poured from the condemned’s lips after taking a confession always seemed to stay with her, lingering in her mind and heart.

It always made her want to go take a bath, to scrub away the filth that she felt clung to her after hearing their confessions. Sometimes, they followed her into her sleep, their wickedness haunting her and threatening to steal her faith, her hope in the human race.

She couldn’t allow Kao to do that to her now, couldn’t allow him to win.

She made her way back to where the prisoner was being held awaiting her arrival, her Confessor’s mask firmly in place as she waited for the guards to open the man’s cell. “Let us know if you need anything, Mother Confessor,” the guard reverentially bowed his head as Kahlan entered followed closely by Tristan and Edmund.

She found a large man with brown hair and a beard chained to the wall on the far side of the dungeon. His eyes were filled with hatred and pure wickedness as she approached him, but she was unafraid as she drew near. 

She had confronted far worse than this while traveling with Richard across the territories, had faced off against some of the vilest people in all three territories, had fought Darken Rahl and the Keeper. This man was nothing to her.

As she approached, he spit at her, his saliva landing on the toe of her black boot as she came to a stop. She looked down at it momentarily before finally meeting his irate, hate filled gaze again. She calmly stared at him as she held up her hand to him in warning.

“Do you have anything you’d like to say before I confess you?” she asked with an emotionless voice.

“Yes, I hope you and that vile Lord Rahl rot in the bowels of the Underworld for all eternity,” he hissed like a venomous snake, his lips twisted into a sneer.

“Watch your words,” Tristan growled from behind Kahlan.

“I hereby condemn you to confession for your crimes against the Empire and the House of Rahl,” Kahlan coldly stated, her hand reaching out to clutch the man’s thick neck, her eyes swirling from sapphire blue to black and back again as her magic shot forth in a power stream that left her momentarily dazed.

Tristan and Edmund both winced in response to the confession, standing their ground with the powerful shockwave that the force of her powers produced when it was unleashed. They watched as the man’s loathsome expression immediately softened into one of full remorse and adoration as he stared lovingly at his Mistress.

“Command me, Mistress,” he begged as he bowed his head in humble adoration. “I know I am unworthy, but I only seek to please you. Please let me serve you.”

“What is your name?” she frostily demanded.

“Jairren Sanders,” he told her, his dark eyes hopeful that he had truly pleased her with his quick response.

“Who told you to start a riot in the marketplace, Jairren?” she asked.

“Trevor Bail,” he eagerly replied, more than anxious to make her happy. “He paid me as well as some others to start riots against you and the Lord Rahl. We were instructed to start a fight if necessary.”

Kahlan folded her arms against her chest, her body tense with the anger simmering inside of her. “Who else is being paid to do this?”

“I don’t know,” he began to cry, as he shook his head, feeling as though he had failed her. “I just overheard him telling someone that others were being paid to start fights in the city as well. We’re supposed to get the people stirred up, make them turn against you and instill doubt in their minds about your ability to lead the Empire.”

“Why is Trevor Bail plotting against us?”

“I don’t know… I swear!” he sobbed. “I’m so sorry, Mother Confessor. I don’t know any more than that. I wish that I did so I could please you, but I don’t. They told me very little.”

“They who?” Tristan frowned as he came to stand protectively beside Kahlan, his ice-blue eyes narrowing. “Who else is Trevor Bail working with?”

Jairren looked at his Mistress, not knowing whether or not he should answer the man, afraid of angering her. Kahlan nodded her head, silently telling him to answer. “Trevor and some man…I think he called him Cyrus.”

“Cyrus Lang is involved in this too?” Edmund gasped in shock from behind Kahlan.

“I’m afraid so, Edmund,” Tristan turned and nodded, his expression grim.

“Spirits!” Edmund shook his head in utter disbelief. “How deep does this whole conspiracy run?”

“I have a feeling we’ve only begun to scratch the surface I’m afraid,” Tristan scowled.

“Do you know Kao C’Id?” Kahlan asked.

The man’s tears fell faster as he shook his head dripping down his cheeks and disappearing into his beard. “No, I’ve never heard of this man,” he wept uncontrollably. “Please, Mother Confessor, forgive me. Unchain me and I will do whatever it is you want. I’ll go after Bail and Lang myself and bring you back their heads. Just please let me atone for what I have done.”

“You will stay here for now,” she dispassionately said. “I will need you in the future to testify against Bail and Lang.”

“Thank you, my Mistress…thank you,” Jairren groveled. “I’ll do whatever I can to help you. I’ll tell them whatever you want me to say.”

Tristan ground his teeth, his hands curling into tight fists. He wanted to hit the man for his actions today. Someone had lost their life all because he had accepted some money to start a riot. It wasn’t helping his anger at all with the way Jairren was staring at Kahlan.

Sensing his anger, Kahlan placed a calming hand on his arm. “Come on, Tristan,” she softly murmured. “We have enough now to go after Trevor and Cyrus. We’ll bring them in for questioning and confession if it comes down to it. They won’t be able to get away any of this now. Once they’re confessed, we’ll be able to track down every single person involved in this and stop it once and for all.”

Tristan finally tore his furious gaze away from the man chained to the wall before him to look into Kahlan’s bright sapphire eyes. He felt an immediate sense of peace flood him as he gazed at her, the jealous anger inside beginning to ease. He turned to follow her out, doing his best to rein in his emotions.

Making their way back through the dungeons, Tristan couldn’t help but feel as though this was only the beginning of something so much bigger than they could have ever dreamed, more than even he had imagined.   
It suddenly made him ill to his core.

XXX

Richard couldn’t shake the sick feeling of dread that was building in the pit of his stomach the closer that they drew to Aydindril. As desperate as he was to see Kahlan and his children again, he also feared what he might find when he arrived.

He hadn’t seen her in so long that he was afraid that he had truly lost her to Tristan by now. She’d made no effort to contact him at the People’s Palace since she’d left nor had she sent word back to him letting him know that they had safely made it, nothing to even let him know how their children were doing.

Of course, why would she? He had let her leave thinking he no longer wanted her or loved her. Why would she try to contact him? He just prayed to the good spirits that she would let him talk to her, to apologize and try to win her heart and forgiveness all over again.

He also feared discovering how far things had truly spiraled out of control in Aydindril, how bad things had gotten. How could he have turned his back on them if things were falling apart there, had practically ignored the possibility?

Richard knew he had a long rough road ahead of him – one that would be more than difficult as he struggled for redemption, but he was determined to get Kahlan back as well as his children one way or another, to save Aydindril from whatever plague was coming to destroy it.

“How are you holding up, my boy?” Zedd asked as he pulled his horse up to ride beside him.

“I can’t get to Aydindril soon enough and yet I’m terrified of seeing Kahlan again,” he admitted with a very heavy heart. “What if she doesn’t want to see me ever again, Zedd? What will I do then?”

“First of all, Kahlan would never refuse to see you,” Zedd countered. “Second, she would never keep you away from your children. She’s not like that and you know it, Richard. You need to have faith in her and her love for you.”

“I know…you’re right,” Richard sighed heavily, raking his fingers back through his hair. “I’d rather give up my own life than lose her. I don’t know how I could’ve been so blind to what was happening right before my very own eyes, the pain I was causing her and everyone else.”

“Pain and anger can sometimes get the best of us, blind us to the truth,” the old Wizard admitted. “It’s that much harder for you because of the magical sword you carry and the fury it awakens deep within you. It’s why you must do your best to be in control of your emotions at all times or they will devour you like a virus from the inside out, stripping you of who you are.”

“I can’t ever let myself slip like that again,” he said, his voice laced with fear, his gaze suddenly growing distant. “It nearly cost me everything…maybe already has. Perhaps it would be best if you gave the title of Seeker to someone else…someone better able to handle the Sword’s magic.”

Zedd frowned as he cast a sidelong glance at his grandson, noticing the sense of failure that weighed so heavily on his shoulders. “So are you saying that I, a Wizard of the First Order, was wrong? That I made a mistake by naming you the Seeker of Truth?”

“I don’t know, Zedd,” he confessed, keeping his gaze focused straight ahead of him. “I don’t know what to think about anything anymore. I’m still struggling to find my way out of that dark pit I’d gotten myself into.”

“Well, I know I made the right choice,” Zedd firmly stated with conviction. “If it weren’t for you, Richard, Darken Rahl would have won and you and Kahlan…you would have never met, would both be dead. There would be no Priya, Paige or Aiden, no D’Haran Empire, no hope or future for people to look forward to.”

Richard contemplated what his grandfather had said for a long moment, knowing the truth of his words. “I’d give it all up in a heartbeat for Kahlan – the sword, the throne, the Empire…everything…if it meant she’d take me back again.”

“Richard, I doubt that…” Zedd began.

Richard suddenly bristled, raising his hand to silence Zedd as the sound of several horses racing towards their direction interrupted them. The Seeker instinctively went for his sword, his hand coming to rest on the hilt and preparing for a fight if need be.

Spotting the approaching horses coming over the ridge, the First File and Mord’Sith immediately moved in closer to Richard to flank the Lord Rahl and keep him safe. They weren’t going to take any chances with the Lord Rahl’s safety especially this close to Aydindril and the trouble that was brewing there.

There were well over thirty men approaching on horseback. Richard could already tell they were not a welcoming party sent from Aydindril even from this distance. He watched as they suddenly drew their swords, the familiar ringing of the Sword of Truth’s release filling the air as the Seeker prepared for a battle.

Someone was definitely trying to keep him away from Kahlan, keep him from getting to her and Aydindril. It caused his rage to explode deep within his core nearly blinding him with the sheer intensity of it.

If these men were sent by Tristan Kabay, he was not going to allow him to stand in his way of getting his wife back. Kahlan belonged with him and he was not going to give her up for another man to have her.

He suddenly pushed his horse past the soldiers of the First File that were trying to protect him, determined to meet the ambush head on. He could feel his blood sing with the magical fury pounding through his veins and demanding release as he tightened his hold on the hilt of his sword. He was more than happy and willing to answer that demand.

Richard urged Asa even faster, the sound of the others following him filling his ears but he didn’t care. He was prepared to take them all down by himself if need be.

He charged hard and fast, resolve thrumming through every fiber of his being to get to Kahlan and his children. No one was going to stand in his way of getting to her. Not these men, not Tristan Kabay, and definitely not whoever was behind whatever was going on in Aydindril.

“I’m coming, Kahlan,” he whispered to himself, his raptor gaze locked on his target. “Don’t give up on me yet.”

Swinging his sword, the Seeker attacked with a fierce swift vengeance, maneuvering Asa for the best angle to kill as his blade cut down one man after another. He grunted with each swing of his sword, every deadly thrust, leaving no one alive.

A large man on a horse raced straight for him, but Richard was ready for him, leaping from Asa and knocking him off of his horse. They struggled on the ground, the sword falling from Richard’s hand as they rolled and fought for control. 

Richard momentarily gained the upper hand, his fist connecting with the man’s face and dazing him long enough to grab hold of his sword again. Pinning him to the ground, he pointed the blade at the man’s throat as Wizard’s fire helped contain some of the others, the First File and Mord’Sith taking care of the rest.

“Who sent you out here to stop us from getting to Aydindril?” Richard demanded to know, breathing hard as the tip of his blade dug into the man’s chest. “Was it Tristan Kabay?”

Richard could feel Zedd coming to stand beside him, but he ignored him, digging the tip of his sword even deeper into the man’s chest and drawing blood when the man refused to answer. “Was it Tristan Kabay?” Richard hissed, his every word punctuated with deadly barely controlled rage.

“It wasn’t Kabay,” the man finally spat out. “He’s in tight with that wench Confessor wife of yours, follows her like a whipped dog.”

Richard leaned in, pressing his blade even further into the man’s chest. “Then who sent you?”

The man gritted his teeth with the feel of the blade digging into his flesh and bone, his hands clawing at the grass beneath him. “You can rot in the Underworld with your wife because that’s where she’ll be by the time you reach Aydindril.”

Richard dropped his sword, his fists connecting with the man’s face as his greatest fears began to take hold. “No!” he roared. “What are they going to do to Kahlan? Who is after her?”

Zedd quickly grabbed hold of his grandson, pulling him off of the man and hauling him up onto his feet. “Richard!” he yelled. “Stop it! We don’t have time for this. Kahlan needs you now more than ever.”

Breathing heavily, Richard looked down at the man’s now bloody face, rage blazing wildly in his eyes as he finally knelt down to retrieve his sword before slipping it into his scabbard. “We need to get to Aydindril right away.”

“What do you want us to do with him, Lord Rahl?” one of the First File soldiers asked him.

“Kill him,” Richard coldly stated as he turned to retrieve his horse.

Zedd watched as his grandson walked away. He knew that Richard had no choice but to condemn the man to death. He had attacked the Lord Rahl and no mercy could be shown. Besides that, Kahlan was in dire trouble and they couldn’t afford for this man to live only to return to Aydindril and warn whoever had sent them.

Zedd made his way to him, leaving the soldiers do their duty. He placed a weathered hand on Richard’s back as his grandson adjusted the saddle on his horse. “Richard, you did the right thing,” he told him. “We’ll get to Aydindril and save Kahlan. Don’t give up hope yet, my boy.”

Richard’s shoulders sagged as he released a ragged breath, momentarily pressing his forehead into the withers of his horse’s neck. “I can’t lose her, Zedd,” he murmured, fighting back the thick knot of emotions that had suddenly lodged in his throat. “She’s my whole world, Zedd. I won’t survive without her.”

“Then let’s go get her and your children out of there and remove whatever poison has seeped into Aydindril,” Zedd replied, squeezing his shoulder before turning away.

“Thank you, Zedd,” Richard softly said.

“For what?”

“For not giving up on me,” he replied.

“Never, my boy,” Zedd smiled. “Never.”

Turning, Richard smiled softly in return despite the fury that still coursed like a mighty river through him and flashed dangerously in his dark brown eyes. He needed to get to Aydindril and Kahlan as soon as possible before he truly lost everything that he loved.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 16

“I am not leaving you here, Kahlan,” Frederick firmly stated.

“I need for you to help get my children safely to Tashon,” Kahlan insisted. “I only trust you to help Katrina and Rachel to make sure they are safe. They can’t stay here in Aydindril any longer.”

“Come with us,” Frederick implored her, closing the distance between them to take her hands firmly in his. “Please, Kahlan. I can’t just leave you here knowing you’re in danger like this.”

“I’ll be fine,” she reassured him with a forced smile that never quite reached her blue eyes. “I’ve faced situations much worse than this. Please, this is something that I have to do and I can’t do it if I’m constantly worrying about my children’s safety or yours for that matter.”

Frederick appraised her for a long moment, noticing the dark shadows that had formed beneath her eyes, the fatigue that lined her face. “You didn’t sleep again last night did you?” he frowned, casting a glance at Tristan standing behind Kahlan silently shaking his head no, the look of worry on the King’s face not helping relieve Frederick’s own growing panic over all of this.

“No, but I’ll be alright,” she attempted to reassure him.

“I don’t like this one bit,” Mistress Rachel stated from behind Frederick, her eyes narrowed into twin daggers of obvious disapproval. “Lord Rahl would have my head if I left you here unprotected.”

“It’s our children you’d be protecting,” Kahlan pointed out. “Besides, it’s far more important to him that they’re protected.”

“Kahlan, you don’t really believe that do you?” Frederick said, stunned by her words. “You know he loves you.”

“I still don’t like this,” Rachel scowled, not giving Kahlan a chance to respond.

“I promise I’ll protect her with my life,” Tristan stepped forward to stand close beside Kahlan. “I won’t let any harm come to her.”

“I don’t need anyone to protect me,” Kahlan exclaimed in exasperation, folding her arms defiantly against her chest. “I can take care of myself.”

“I know you can, but everyone needs someone to watch their back for them,” Tristan firmly shot back with equal resolve, turning his attention to Frederick and Rachel. “I’ve begged Kahlan to go with you and the children to Tashon, but she adamantly refuses to go so short of knocking her out and tying her up, there’s nothing we can do to change her mind.”

“I’m good with that,” Rachel replied, her hands on her hips as she stared down the Mother Confessor. “Then I won’t have to explain to the Lord Rahl why his wife is dead.”

Kahlan scowled at the Mord’Sith, refusing to back down. “Why doesn’t anyone think I can handle myself?” she asked in frustration. “You know the Mother Confessor used to be the most feared authority in all the territories.”

“No one is saying you aren’t capable,” Tristan said. “It’s just that there are people out there who want you dead right now. We don’t want to see anything happen to you. We all care about you…very much.”

Kahlan suddenly felt uncomfortable as Rachel stared intently at her and Tristan, her glare telling her she knew that something was definitely going on between her and Tristan. She needed to talk to her, to explain that nothing was happening between her and Tristan beyond friendship.

Thank the spirits her father appeared to be too worried about everything else that was going on to notice. “You’ll need to leave today,” Kahlan said, trying to divert the attention away from her and Tristan. “As soon as we can get everything packed up, I’m sending you to Tashon with the First File who accompanied me here to Aydindril. I know I can trust them to help protect you.”

“Kahlan,” Frederick said, pulling her aside to speak with her in private. “Please, isn’t there something I can say or do to convince you to come with us?”

“I’m sorry I just can’t,” she sadly said. “I want to more than anything, but I have to stay here and stop this before it spreads throughout the entire Empire. It’s my duty not only as the Mother Confessor, but the Lady Rahl of the D’Haran Empire. 

“I promise just as soon as it’s safe again, I’ll personally come to get you and the children. I’m hoping I can get this resolved in a few days and then we can all be together again.”

Frederick slowly nodded his head in understanding, his expression grim. “I’m scared for you, Kahlan.”

Kahlan pulled him into a fierce embrace, noticing that Rachel had pulled Tristan aside. By the looks of it, she was giving him quite the tongue lashing. She could only imagine what that conversation was about. A part of her wanted to go save him, but at the moment she was just too exhausted to care.

“That young man certainly has eyes for you,” Frederick told her as he released her. “I know you and Richard are having a very difficult time right now, but be sure you know exactly what you want and what you’re doing before you do something that you can’t take back. I don’t want you giving up on Richard prematurely.”

“I’m not the one who gave up,” Kahlan bitterly replied, anger and hurt swimming in her sapphire eyes. “He was the one who turned his back on me, decided that he didn’t love me or want me anymore. I can’t force him to love me if he doesn’t want to.”

“I know, my dear,” Frederick tenderly said, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. “I also know that many times things aren’t always what they appear to be. Richard loves you very much, Kahlan, whether it feels like it or not. I’ve never seen a man look at a woman the way that Richard looks at you.”

“It’s beginning to feel like another lifetime ago since he looked at me that way,” she whispered, fighting back unwanted tears. “I’m so tired of hurting so badly inside. It feels like the pain will never go away, that I’ll never feel truly happy again. I don’t want to live like this.”

“I know it feels like that, but don’t give up hope and don’t give up on Richard,” he encouraged her. “Tristan is a very good man and obviously cares very deeply for you. Just be sure you don’t go running into anything without knowing exactly what you’re doing. I just don’t want you to get hurt anymore than you already are. I love you, Kahlan. I only want you to be happy.”

“I love you too,” she softly said, hugging him again, her watery gaze falling on the handsome man talking to the Mord’Sith.

Kahlan knew that she felt something for Tristan, but she just didn’t know what exactly that was just yet. Right now, though, she needed to concentrate on stopping the coming storm that was about to hit Aydindril before it was too late.

**********

Tristan wasn’t the least bit surprised when Mistress Rachel pulled him aside for a private conversation of their own. She’d been glaring at him since they had begun talking about sending Kahlan’s children to Tashon. She’d obviously picked up on his feelings for Kahlan and was most unhappy about it.

She had warned him in no uncertain terms that he was to keep his hands off of the Mother Confessor shortly after leaving the People’s Palace. He had a nagging feeling that lecture was about to be reintroduced, her point punctuated with the prod of an agiel.

“What are your intentions towards the Mother Confessor?” Rachel flat out asked.

“Kahlan is my friend,” Tristan replied with a frown, not wishing to get into this now.

“The way you look at her says it’s a lot more than that,” Rachel shot back. “Are you trying to steal Kahlan away from Lord Rahl?”

“I’m not trying to steal Kahlan from anyone,” Tristan insisted. “Kahlan is her own woman and can make up her own mind about who she wants to be with.”

“She belongs with the Lord Rahl,” Rachel glared hotly at him.

“Then where is he, Rachel?” he demanded to know with growing frustration, looking around the room as if Richard was there with him. “If he loves her, Richard would be here with her now when she needs him the most. What kind of man lets his wife and children leave him like that without so much as a fight? Kahlan deserves far better than that.”

“And you plan on being the one to give it to her, aren’t you?”

“Yes, if she’ll have me,” Tristan replied, refusing to back down from the Mord’Sith before him. “I would gladly give up my life for her; do whatever it takes to make her happy.”

Rachel glared at him, his fierce devotion to the Mother Confessor causing something inside of her to stir, something very unexpected. Was it envy? She suddenly felt a measure of her ire diminish as she stared into his piercing blue eyes.

He abruptly took a step closer, closing the distance between them and creating an unexpected flutter in the pit of her stomach. “I’ll tell you the same thing that I told Kahlan,” he told her, resolve in his tone. “Kahlan has to be the one to come to me if she wants to be with me. I will not pressure her into anything that she’s not ready for. When she comes to me, I want her to be free of any doubts about her choice. If she chooses, Richard then I’ll abide by her decision.”

Rachel slowly nodded her head, accepting his oath. “Promise me you’ll protect her at all cost.”

“I swear on my father’s grave that I will lay down my life for her if needed,” he solemnly promised her. “I know you care about her too, Rachel. I greatly appreciate that. I’m glad that she has friends like you to help watch out for her.”

Rachel drew a deep, relenting breath as the last of her fury seeped out of her. “I have to admit I’m glad you’re here to protect her too. I know she and Lord Rahl have gone through great heartache as of late, causing problems for them. If Lord Rahl can’t be here for her, then I’m glad that you are. You’re good for her.”

Tristan slowly nodded his head in appreciation for her words, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I truly appreciate that, Rachel,” he smiled. “It’s high praise coming from a Mord’Sith.”

“Well, she’s going to need someone to lean on especially now,” she replied, casting a glance at Kahlan talking with her father. “She’s seen far more than her fair share of heartache and grief. It’s time that she knows happiness and love again.”

Tristan studied her for a moment, noticing something in her eyes that he hadn’t before. She had a soft heart beneath all the red leather and brash exterior. “What about you?” he suddenly asked her. “Do you know happiness and love?”

Stunned by his question, Rachel turned her attention to the handsome man before her. “I don’t believe that is something in my future,” she softly admitted as she averted her eyes. “I am Mord’Sith. I’m not sure I would know how to be a wife or a mother.”

“I’m sure you could,” he reassured her. “You are fiercely protective of those you care about. Besides that, you’re very beautiful, Rachel. Any man would be more than lucky to have a chance at a life with you.”

Rachel expression softened even further with his compliment, her heart beginning to hammer. “Thank you, Tristan,” she murmured, suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable.

Just then, Edmund rushed in to the room, his face pale and his eyes wild with panic. “Kahlan, there’s two more riots that have broken out – one in the marketplace and one in the central courtyard.”

“I’m going down there,” Kahlan said as she quickly made her way to the door.

“Kahlan…” Tristan scowled as he began to follow her.

“Don’t start with me, Tristan,” Kahlan snapped. “I’m going down there to put a stop to this. Now. You can either come with me or stay here with the others. Either way, I’m not about to let anyone destroy my city.”

“Kahlan, there’s more that you need to know,” Edmund told her, grabbing her arm and forcing her to stop at the doorway.

“What is it?” she turned with a frown.

“Jairren Sanders was just found dead in his cell,” Edmund informed her. “His throat had been slit and his tongue cut out.”

Kahlan’s eyes momentarily fell closed as she drew a deep breath, the symbolic act of removing the man’s tongue not lost on her. “I knew I should’ve moved him to a more secure part of the dungeon. This is all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault,” Tristan insisted. “You couldn’t have known that Bail’s reach extended that far into the Confessor’s Palace.”

“We’re going to have to be on constant guard at all times from now on. There’s no way to know who Bail has tucked into his back pocket right now and who is truly loyal to us,” Kahlan instructed them with a fierce determination glowing in her eyes. “From now on, no one goes anywhere without one of us with them.”

“This can’t be happening,” Edmund muttered angrily, shaking his head. “This is like a nightmare come to life.”

“It is and I’m going to put a stop to it,” Kahlan heatedly stated. “Rachel, I want you and my father to stay with Katrina, Aggie, and my children in my suite. Lock the door and don’t leave or let anyone in unless it’s Tristan, Edmund or I that come for you.”

“Yes, Mother Confessor,” Rachel obediently nodded her head, her hand falling to her agiel.

“Kahlan, please be careful,” Frederick said, his face lined with worry.

“I will,” she replied as she quickly turned and left the room with Tristan and Edmund.

XXX

Racing towards the marketplace, Kahlan could already hear the shouting and screaming, the sound of wood cracking and people crashing into things. She could see Aydindril soldiers flooding the area as more and more people became embroiled in the heated fray.

The afternoon sun shone brightly making it almost difficult to see what was actually going on as she ran post vendor carts and around people stopping to see what was going on. The smell of smoke filled her nostrils, flames beginning to shoot into the air in the distance.

She could feel Tristan following close behind her as the smoke grew thicker around them the closer they drew. She was beyond grateful and relieved to have his support right now, someone she could trust and rely on to watch her back when everyone else in her city was turning on her and Richard. 

She quickly approached the heart of the fight, the shouts and screams growing louder by the moment. She could hear the clashing of swords and the horrible gut-wrenching sound of death. It was a sound that she could never get used to hearing or being the one to deliver it, the familiar sound of a blade slicing through flesh, ligaments and corded muscles as life-preserving blood was spilled onto the ground.

Kahlan paused long enough to reach down and draw her daggers from her boots, gripping them tightly in her hands as she pushed her way into the turmoil that had erupted in her home. She wasn’t about to let this continue.

Swinging her daggers, she did her best to keep the injuries she delivered from being life-threatening since she still didn’t know who had started it and who had gotten dragged into it. There were people all over, some trying to stop it while others only seemed to be trying to antagonize the situation.

Rage seared through her veins as she threw herself into the battle as soldiers fought against Aydindril’s residents in an effort to settle the swelling insurrection that threatened to spill throughout the entire city if they didn’t put a stop to this.

The air was stifling, crushing with tension and anger as well as something more, something depraved. It caused an icy chill of dread to shiver up Kahlan’s spine, her stomach twisted into a thick knot of dread. She couldn’t shake the unnerving sensation that Kao C’Id was here somewhere watching her, hidden amongst the chaos and smoke. 

She swore she could feel his cold dead eyes on her as she narrowly dodged a sword’s arching swing, the blade slicing through the sleeve of her dress and biting into her skin. Ignoring it, she lifted her boot, kicking her attacker square in the chest, knocking him back and giving her more room to fight.

She didn’t give the man a chance to regain his balance before pressing in for the final blow as fire erupted around. Her dagger sliced true, cutting the tendon in his hand and causing him to drop his sword. He looked up at the Mother Confessor in horror, righteous rage flashing in her bright blue eyes as her hand went for his throat, seizing hold of him and stealing his soul.

“Command me, Mistress,” the man began to weep.

“Who paid you to start this riot?” she demanded to know.

“It…it was…” the man began when an arrow suddenly pierced his throat, forever silencing him.

With a growl of pure rage, Kahlan swiftly turned only to have the hilt of a sword connect with the side of her skull. She immediately dropped to her hands and knees, losing her daggers as the world around her spun wildly while bile rose up in her throat.

She fought to remain conscious but it was growing more difficult by the moment. She could feel warm blood tricking down the side of her face as she quickly began patting the ground in search of her daggers that she’d dropped.

“Kahlan!” Tristan screamed as he raced towards her only to be brought to a stop by a large man and a sword.

Tristan was swiftly pushed back as the man attacked with a fierce vengeance, his teeth gritted in hatred as his sword clashed violently with the King of Tashon. Tristan attempted to look past him, desperate to catch a glance of Kahlan, fear swelling like a thunderhead in his chest as he was pushed further and further away from her.

Just as Kahlan’s fingers brushed against the hilt of her dagger, someone grabbed her from behind pulling her up by her long raven hair causing to cry out in pain at being hauled up onto her knees. She frantically tried to grab the man who had hold of her hair; desperate to touch him and release her power, but he constantly evaded her touch.

“You’re about to die, witch,” the man growled as he leaned in close. “Rest assured your children and husband will be right behind you.”

“No!” Kahlan screamed as she felt the cold sting of the blade against her throat, knowing the end was coming. 

Her mind was foggy, her thoughts hazy as she struggled to escape his fierce hold on her, nausea swimming in pit of her stomach as she squeezed her eyes shut. She was going to die today. She’d never get to see her children again or be able to watch them grow up. She’d never get to see Richard, never be able to tell him how much she truly loved him.

Kahlan refused to give this man the satisfaction of her begging for her life or tears shed out of regret for the things she’d be missing out in her children’s lives. Through a thick haze of dizziness she lifted her head higher, practically offering him her throat.

Opening her eyes, she suddenly gasped at the sight before her. 

“Let go of my wife!” 

The Seeker’s scream of absolute rage rang in her ears and reverberated in her heart nearly causing it to stop beating. He was here. Richard was actually here. He had come to Aydindril, but was it for her that he had come or their children?

Richard growled with an unleashed fury that blazed through his veins, his sword swinging through the air and taking off the head of the man holding Kahlan by the hair. Finally set free, Kahlan fell on all fours, breathing hard as tears welled up in her throat making it difficult to draw air.

She felt a sudden comforting hand on her back, his face suddenly near her ear. “Are you alright?” Richard gently asked, panic lacing his voice.

“Yes,” she whispered as she sat back on her heels, her eyes unexpectedly falling on a familiar figure standing in the shadow of a store, his large muscular arms folded against his equally muscular chest, his eyes locked solely on her.

It was Kao C’Id. He was here.

“No…no…” she gasped, shaking her head as terror seized her, haunting memories of her nightmares rushing to the surface of her mind and stealing her very breath.

“Kahlan, what is it?” Richard asked, kneeling down beside her.

“It…it’s him…he’s here…” she cried, tears trickling down her cheeks.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 17

Kneeling before her, Richard carefully took her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. “Kahlan, what is it?” he demanded to know, his brow furrowed with fear. “Who did you see?”

Kahlan could only stare past Richard at the beast of a man who had haunted her dreams and terrorized her with the things he planned to do to her and her family, his smug grin mocking her. She began to tremble uncontrollably, suddenly paralyzed with fear that he was going to take everything that she loved away from her.

Richard had never seen Kahlan quite like this before, so terrified that she couldn’t even speak. Grabbing by her the shoulders, he shook her in an attempt to get through to her and snap her out of whatever was holding her prisoner. Besides that, he needed to know what was going on here if he was going to be able to keep her safe.

“Talk to me, Kahlan! Who’s here?” he yelled.

“It…it’s…” Kahlan gasped, her blue eyes glazed with horror as she fought to catch her breath.

“Kahlan!” Tristan suddenly yelled as he raced towards her with his sword gripped tightly in his hand, his heart abruptly sinking at the sight of the man kneeling before her. Richard was here. “Kahlan, are you alright?”

Richard instantly bristled as Tristan knelt beside Kahlan, his jaw clenching tightly with a jealous rage that refused to be quieted. He helped Kahlan to her feet, pausing to rip off of a piece of his shirt to hold it against the gash on the side of her head that was bleeding freely.

“We need to get you inside,” Richard told her, turning to look for his grandfather. “Zedd! Over here!”

“No…I’m alright,” Kahlan murmured, her hand moving to replace Richard’s as she pressed the cloth to her head. “We…we need to get these people out of here before…”

“Kahlan, it’s all over,” Tristan reassured her as he sheathed his sword. “The Aydindril guard has everything under control now.”

Kahlan frantically began turning, searching the area for any sign of Kao C’Id, but he was no longer there. He was gone. She cursed under her breath, furious with herself for not going after him when she’d had the chance.

“Kahlan, who are you looking for?” Richard asked as Zedd approached.

Ignoring Richard, Kahlan quickly turned towards Tristan, her eyes still swimming with fear. “He’s here, Tristan…I saw him,” she choked out, tears welling. “He was staring right at me with this…this sick smile on his face.”

“You saw him? Here?” Tristan exclaimed, his gaze darkening with rage as he began to look around. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know,” Kahlan told him. “He…he’s gone now.”

“Who are you talking about?” Richard angrily growled, his frustration rising along with his jealousy.

“Kao C’Id,” Tristan scowled.

**********

Tristan stood staring out the window with his arms crossed against his chest and his thoughts a thousand leagues from here. Richard had come for Kahlan, his chance of ever winning her heart now gone like dust in the wind.

He knew that he really shouldn’t have been surprised by the Seeker’s sudden appearance in Aydindril. He should’ve known that Richard wouldn’t be able to go on without Kahlan for long, eventually finding his way back to her.

Tristan suddenly felt like he was losing her all over again and yet he knew deep down that he’d never really had her.

“How did this happen?” Richard asked, his anger running in hot waves beneath his skin as he watched Zedd tend to Kahlan’s injury. “Who started the riot?”

“Maybe if you had been here to begin with, you’d already know,” Tristan angrily bit out, turning a deadly glare on the Seeker.

“I’m here now so tell me what’s going on,” Richard snapped.

“Where were you when Kahlan needed you the most?” Tristan shot back.

“And when I needed her, you took her away,” Richard sneered, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. “If it wasn’t for you dragging her back to Aydindril, she wouldn’t have gotten hurt or be in this danger now would she?”

“Stop it!” Kahlan suddenly yelled, standing to her feet. “We have bigger issues going on that we have to deal with right now. Kao C’Id is here and he’s going to take down Aydindril as well as the whole D’Haran Empire if we don’t do something to stop him.”

Richard drew a deep breath in an attempt to rein in the fury thrumming through him, raking his fingers back through his hair. “I’m sorry…you’re right, Kahlan,” he softly said. “Our personal issues will need to wait until we can get things under control here.”

“Let’s start with Kao C’Id,” Zedd stated, coming to stand beside his grandson. “Who is this man?”

“We don’t know for certain, but we feel he’s at the very heart of all the trouble that has erupted in Aydindril,” Tristan explained. “So far we know of at least four Council members who are involved in a plot to take over Aydindril. The one we feel is leading the revolt is Trevor Bail.”

“Trevor Bail?” Zedd frowned in disbelief. “I can’t believe he’d be involved in something like this.”

“Well, he is,” Tristan replied. “We’re just not certain how Kao C’Id fits into all of this yet. We don’t know if Trevor is bringing Kao into this or if Kao drafted Trevor to help him try to take over the city.”

“Do we know why they are planning this?” Richard asked, his troubled gaze falling on his wife.

Even though injured, Kahlan was still more than breathtaking, his desire for her always there just beneath the surface ready to storm out of control into a passionate frenzy. He ached inside to hold her, to kiss her breathless and tell her how horribly sorry he was for everything. He wanted to make love to her, to show her how much she truly meant to him. She was everything to him…everything.

But all of that was going to have to wait for now. Aydindril was in dire trouble and he had a feeling the trouble was far greater than anything that they’d ever imagined or encountered before.

“There are some set in the old ways who want things to go back to the way that it was…before you and I were married,” Kahlan admitted, her eyes intently studying him for a reaction, desperate to know how he truly felt about her now after all that they’d endured.

She could scarcely believe that he was actually here in Aydindril with her now. Her heart was racing, the longing for him that always simmered inside of her rapidly intensifying. Every fiber of her being had been awakened by him, yearning for him.

He looked like he’d been to the Underworld and back and yet he was still the most handsome man that she’d ever known. He had lost weight, his face etched with fatigue, the scruff that lined his jaw now a beard and his hair was longer.

What startled her the most, though, were his chestnut brown eyes that she loved. They were no longer filled with cold hard rage or bitterness and resentment. Instead, they were filled only with the deep heartache that they both were still struggling with. His pain had grown since she’d last seen him, was nearly palpable…suffocating. She wanted to hold him so badly right now that it almost hurt.

“So they’re against me and the formation of the D’Haran Empire,” Richard said what she suddenly could not.

“They feel like you’ve turned me against Aydindril and the Midlands,” Kahlan continued. “They feel I’m blinded by love, following you without thought.”

Richard’s raptor gaze was focused so intently on Kahlan now she could scarcely draw a breath. It was as if there wasn’t another living soul in the world save for the two of them. The tension in the room was tangible, all of their questions and hurts and frustrations hanging there in the air waiting desperately for someone to make the first move, to take that difficult first step towards peace and forgiveness, redemption and reunion.

She watched as a small smile spread across his tanned face. It made her heart stutter like only he ever could. “Kahlan, they should have figured it out long ago that no one can force you to do anything you don’t want to.”

Tristan snorted in agreement. “Don’t I know it,” he frowned. “I’ve been trying to get her to leave Aydindril for Tashon with her children where she’d be safe, but she refuses to leave.”

“Where are our children?” Richard asked, his pulse suddenly racing at the thought of being able to see them again.

“They’re upstairs in our…our suite,” Kahlan replied, averting her gaze.

Things were impossibly tense between them, neither knowing what to say or how to act around each other. Had he come to finally end things with her or to work it out? Did he expect to share her bed tonight? As badly as she wanted that, she didn’t know if she was ready to be intimate with him.

She could feel Tristan bristling beside her, his eyes practically boring into her. She knew he wanted answers from her, wanted her to make a choice, but right now she didn’t know what to think anymore. Her life was spiraling so wildly out of control. It felt like the world was on fire and everything was burning down around her.

“It feels like an eternity since I’ve gotten to see them,” he admitted. “I’ve missed them so very much.”

“They’ve missed you too,” she reassured him. “Paige and Priya ask for you every day.”

“Why don’t we all get cleaned up and rested before dinner?” Zedd suggested, feeling the tension between the two as well. “That way Richard can spend some time with Kahlan and the children. Then, we can all meet up for dinner to discuss everything that’s been going on in Aydindril and what we can do to fix it.”

“I’m going to go meet with General Creene, see if they were able to discover who started the riots,” Tristan stated, his hand coming to rest on Kahlan’s shoulder. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

Kahlan nodded her head as she cast a fleeting glance at Richard, hoping to see some sort of sign that he still cared about her, loved her. His face showed no hint of emotion, but his jaw was set in that familiar way that told her he was more than angry at that moment.

Was he still furious with her? Blamed her for the loss of their baby?

“Come,” Kahlan finally said. “My father, Rachel, and Katrina are in my suite with the children now. I told them to stay there until one of us came for them.”

She felt so nervous inside as she began to make her way through the Palace with Zedd and Richard following close behind her. There was a fierce flutter in the pit of her stomach, one that Richard always managed to create within her. Despite her anger and hurt, she still couldn’t deny what beat in her heart for him. 

She just prayed that they would be able to find a way to get through this. She wasn’t just going to be fighting for their lives or Aydindril, but with Richard here now, she’d be fighting for her marriage as well.

XXX

Entering the Mother Confessor’s private suite, Richard could barely contain his excitement at finally being able to see and hold his children again. There had been a deep hollow ache in his chest since Kahlan had left with their children, one that he was beginning to believe would never leave.

He was immediately besieged with memories as he made his way inside as her intoxicating scent permeated his senses – the first time that he had made love to her, countless nights spent with her in his arms talking about their plans for the future, the bed where Paige and Priya had been made.

It caused a thick painful knot to lodge in his throat making it difficult to breathe as he began to look for his children. He could hear the soft giggles of his daughters coming from one of the rooms off of the main greeting room and he suddenly found that he couldn’t get to them fast enough.

The door opened just then, Paige and Priya coming out followed by Frederick who immediately smiled at the sight of his son-in-law. The girls squealed as they ran towards their father as fast as their little legs could take them.

Richard quickly swept both of his girls up into his arms, hugging them close as tears filled his eyes. Kissing them both on the forehead, he held them in his arms as they jabbered excitedly about all that had happened since they’d last seen him.

“I’ve missed you both so much,” he told them. “My girls have gotten so big.”

Kahlan wiped away a stray tear as she watched Richard with their daughters. Spirits, she had missed him so much, missed being a family with him. His presence had awakened her desire for him all over again, but it had also ripped open the deep wounds that had marred her heart, wounds that he had created and still were in need of healing.

“Kahlan!” Frederick gasped at the sight of her, breaking through her thoughts. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine, father,” she reassured him, looking down at her white dress covered in dirt and blood. “I think I’m going to get cleaned up.”

“Kahlan, wait,” Richard suddenly called out to her, setting his girls down and making his way to her.

His heart was in his throat as he pulled her aside to talk to her privately, all the things that he’d rehearsed on his way here suddenly gone from his mind. “I…I just wanted to say that I’m glad that you’re alright. I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened if I hadn’t gotten to you in time.”

“Thank you for saving my life…again,” she replied, giving him a small smile. “You always manage to get there just in time.”

It wasn’t his smile, the one that she gave to no other but him, but it more than he deserved, more than he could’ve hoped for after everything that he’d put her through. “Thank you for letting me see our children. It means the world to me,” he told her, trying to find the words that refused to come. “I can’t believe how much they’ve grown.”

“Richard, I would never keep you from your children…no matter what happens.”

In that moment, Richard felt such an overwhelming urge to kiss her, but held back, knowing that he was going to have to take it slow for now and earn her heart back. “I know,” he sighed, his eyes never leaving her face. “You look exhausted, Kahlan. Why don’t you rest before dinner? I can stay with the children.”

“Thank you, but I’m fine,” she replied with a forced smile that was anything but convincing. “I just want to stop this conspiracy against us before any more people get hurt.”

Richard nodded his head as she turned to leave, but a sudden hand on her arm brought her to an abrupt stop, the feel of his hand on her skin creating an electric current that shot up her arm. She turned back towards him, finding him closer than she’d expected and causing her breath to catch.

“I just wanted to let you know that I’ll find a room down the hall to stay in,” he told her, trying to ignore the way his insides were twisting with nervous dread.

“No, I don’t want you to be away from the children anymore,” she replied, feeling so uncertain about it all. “There’s a spare room off of the bedchambers you can use if you want to.”

Richard felt his heart constrict and yet he knew that he had no one to blame but himself. He should’ve known that she wouldn’t just welcome him back into her life or her bed, not after the way that he had treated her, the pain that he had caused her.

“I’d like that,” he murmured, the words he was so desperate to say to her suddenly dying on his tongue. “Thank you, Kahlan.”

Kahlan quickly turned away from him before he could see her tears as she made her way to her bedchambers. He didn’t even ask if he could stay with her or sleep in the same bed with her. Spirits, they were still husband and wife. Why wouldn’t he want to be with her?

Couldn’t he stand to even be in the same bed with her after all that had happened?

Closing the door behind her, Kahlan suddenly sank to her knees as the tears finally escaped, her body shaking with the heartache that was consuming her from the inside out.

XXX

“I thought I told you to keep Lord Richard Rahl from coming to Aydindril?” Kao C’Id roared like an animal, his lips twisted into a fierce snarl that made hardened men cower in fear.

His hands were balled into tight fists, his muscular arms bulging with the rage coursing through his veins. His long black greasy hair was pulled back tight into a severe ponytail on the back of his head, his chest heaving like a caged animal desperate for escape.

Trevor Bail was on his knees before the great man, his head lowered in shame for having failed him. “I’m truly sorry, my Lord,” he humbly apologized. “I sent over thirty of my best men to stop him and still Lord Rahl was able to defeat them. Not one of them has returned.”

“I don’t want excuses, Bail,” Kao growled, pacing back and forth before him. “I want results and you did not provide them.”

“Please, forgive me Lord C’Id,” Trevor groveled. “Please give me another chance. I won’t fail you again, my Lord. I swear it.”

“No…no, you won’t,” Kao murmured as he swiftly drew his sword, his blade slicing through the man on his knees before him and removing his head from his shoulders.

Cyrus Lang and the rest of the Alliance members all stood stock-still in shock, frozen with fear over what had just happened. No one dared breathe as they watched Trevor’s head finally roll to a stop, his eyes wide with shock and his mouth hanging open as if to utter one final plea for his life.

Holding his sword firmly in his grip, Kao stared down every single member of the Alliance, his dark icy glare not missing one person gathered in the room with him. “Take this as a warning,” he seethed. “I do not tolerate failure. You either succeed or you die.”

No one uttered a single word, each wondering what they had gotten themselves into, but was too terrified to speak. Cyrus was positive that Linus Bertram was about to faint from the sheer fright that had gripped him, the man beginning to tremble beside him.

He had horrifying feeling that Linus was not going to survive this…none of them were going to live through this. If the Lord Rahl and the Mother Confessor didn’t hang them all for treason, Kao C’Id would take their lives in order to get what he wanted most.

“I am in charge of the Alliance,” Kao ground out. “You will all bow before your leader and soon so will Richard and Kahlan Rahl right before I end their lives as well.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 18

Richard lay in bed with his fingers locked behind his head just staring up at the ceiling in the dark, his mind fighting to process everything that had happened today. His world had been already been turned completely upside down lately only to arrive in Aydindril to discover it was now crumbling down all around him.

The only thing holding him together right now was his family, the thin thread he had been clinging so desperately to suddenly not quite as fragile as it had been. A smile tugged at his lips as he thought about the evening, replaying in his mind the time he had been able to spend with his children tonight, being able to hold Aiden and play with his twin daughters, tucking them into bed and kissing them each goodnight. 

Spirits, he had missed them – missed the sound of their giggles, their bright smiles that were so much like their mother’s, the way their faces lit up whenever they saw him, the feel of his son snuggling into his arms.

He was beyond thrilled to be here with them again, his children sleeping in the rooms next to his. It had helped continue the arduous process of putting his heart and life back together again, but he still needed so much more.

He needed her.

Unfortunately, the one he needed most to complete him, to help him find his way again was not in his bed with him. It was sheer torture of the worst kind knowing that Kahlan was sleeping in the next room in their bed without him.

It was more than difficult being separated from her for so long only to be so close to her now and not be able to touch her, to feel her skin pressed against his, to make love to her like he was so desperate to do. He knew he had a long way to go to win her heart again, but he was more determined than ever to have her back with him. It was where she belonged…always.

He released a slow ragged breath, wanting more than anything to go to her now, to slip through the still darkness to slide into that bed alongside her. He was dying to pull her perfect form to him, to inhale her heavenly scent and run his fingers through her silky hair as they rediscovered and explored each other all over again.

He longed to taste her again in every way, to immerse himself in her sweet hot depths and lose themselves in each other. He ached for that connection with her again, to renew the bond that linked them as one, soul to soul and heart to heart.

Richard knew it was still there inside, could feel that special connection with her that lived in his soul. That invisible thread that bound them had dimmed over time when he had so foolishly withdrawn into himself and away from the people that he loved most, temporarily losing his way. It was the biggest mistake that he had ever made, nearly costing him everything.

He couldn’t allow that to happen, couldn’t lose his wife to Tristan Kabay.

Just the thought of that man caused a fierce flood of hot jealousy to sear through his veins, fury swelling in his chest and threatening to steal his breath, his sanity. He could see the way that Tristan looked at Kahlan, the way he felt about her so very evident in his eyes and in the way he acted around her.

For the first time in his life, Richard was truly terrified that he was in danger of losing her this time to another man. With Brey, he’d been jealous of his attention to Kahlan and the past that they’d shared, but more than that he’d feared for her safety, feared his ulterior motives. 

With Tristan, it was very different. There was a chance for this to be very real.

As much as he hated to admit it, he could tell that Tristan was a good man, one who truly loved Kahlan and would treat her like she deserved to be treated. He didn’t seem to fear her magic either, making him wonder if he too could love her beyond what her powers could touch.

The thought made his heart race, his chest instantly tighten with fear. He couldn’t lose her and yet could he stand in the way if Tristan was who she truly wanted now? Her happiness meant everything to him, more than even his own.

He was going to have to find a way to help Kahlan rediscover the love that they shared, to remember what she used to feel for him, but it was going to be difficult with Aydindril falling apart at the seams, a revolt simmering on the horizon.

Whoever this Kao C’Id was, he was going to have to be stopped. He couldn’t afford to allow Aydindril to fall into his hands let alone the entire D’Haran Empire. He had a feeling they were in for the biggest fight of their lives now, possibly even as enormous and dangerous as fighting the Keeper himself.

Rolling onto his side, Richard squeezed his eyes closed against the image that refused to allow him to sleep, appearing every time he shut his eyes. The sight of Kahlan being held up by her hair and a knife pressed to her throat had nearly buckled his knees when he had first raced into the fight.

If he’d been a heartbeat later, Kahlan would’ve been killed right before his eyes and there would have been nothing he could have done to save. He feared not even the breath of life could have kept her from the Underworld if her throat had been slit.

His fingers curled into the sheet beneath him, his hand twisting it as the tears suddenly rose up out of nowhere. Everything was such a chaotic mess and it was partly his fault. He needed to make it right, to fix everything before it was too late.

Richard’s eyes opened at the unexpected sound that unexpectedly drifted from Kahlan’s bedchambers. He froze as he silently listened, unconsciously holding his breath as he waited. The sound abruptly came again, louder this time and more decipherable. It was Kahlan. She was crying. 

He quickly sat up on the edge of the bed, waiting to see if it would stop. She suddenly began to call out, a desperate plea being torn from her lips in a heart-wrenching wail that tore at his insides. He immediately got up and went to the door, slipping into the darkness of what used to be their bedchambers, but was now hers alone.

He went to her bed only to find her still asleep, her raven hair splayed over her pillow as her head rolled from side to side. The sheet was fisted in her hands as she fought against an unknown foe, her face wet with so many tears that continued to leak from the corner of her eyes.

“Tristan…no!” she cried in her sleep, her body wracked with sobs. “Please…don’t hurt him!”

Richard’s heart instantly froze with the mention of Tristan’s name, a sick feeling of horrible dread twisting his insides into a painful knot. It felt like a dagger being thrust into his chest knowing she was dreaming of another man, tears beginning to burn his eyes and throat as he fought to hold it all in.

“Richard!” she suddenly screamed, her body beginning to twist and writhe beneath the sheet as she seemed to struggle against whoever was tormenting her in her sleep. “No…Spirits, not Richard…please don’t take him away from me…not again!” 

Richard’s heart suddenly soared with the sound of her calling for him, pleading for him to stay with her and at the same time it broke for the fear that had gripped her. He had never meant to cause her pain and yet he knew that he had crushed her spirit.

Leaning over, he gently took hold of her shoulders, anxious to wake her and save her from the nightmare that had seized hold of her. “Kahlan…it’s alright,” he softly said. “I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.”

“Not Richard…” she sobbed. “Please…take me instead!”

“Kahlan…it’s me…it’s Richard,” he tried again. “Please, Kahlan…wake up.”

Her eyes flew open, wide with terror and wild with rage. She lunged forward, throwing herself into Richard and nearly knocking him backwards as she wrapped her arms around him. Her entire body was trembling violently as she fought to catch her breath.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck as she continued to sob uncontrollably, clinging to him with all her strength. He could feel her tears wet on his skin, rolling down his chest, but he couldn’t have cared less in that moment. He was holding his Kahlan in his arms and that was all that mattered to him.

“Shhh…it’s alright,” he murmured into her hair, gently rocking her back and forth as he held her close, rubbing her back. “I’m here, Kahlan. I’m right here and I’m not letting you go.”

He held her for several long moments, relishing the feel of her in his arms, her intoxicating scent made him lightheaded with simmering need. She was wearing a semi-sheer white nightdress with thin straps that was totally driving him crazy, the feel of her perfect form clutching him making him ache for so much more. 

It had been so long since they had last been together and even that hadn’t truly been love that they had made. It had been rough and filled with raw emotion, anger and guilt, bitterness. It was not the way that he had wanted their beautiful baby to have been made.

He tilted his head, kissing her temple before slowing pulling back to look into her eyes. He brushed her raven locks from her face, hooking it behind her ear. “Please…don’t cry,” he whispered as he carefully began erasing her tears with his fingertips.

Kahlan’s breath was coming in hiccoughing gasps for breath as she fought to calm her hammering heart. Tears continued to trickle down her cheeks, but were being to subside now. A shiver raced up her spine with the feel of Richard here with her now sitting on the edge of her bed with nothing on but his thin sleeping pants.

He was so inviting sitting there with her, moonlight cutting a glowing path across his chiseled features. He had only grown more handsome to her since the day they had first met, the trials they had endured and survived along with his new beard lending a certain maturity to his face.

This was not the same man that she had met nearly four years ago, not even the same man that she had left a few weeks ago. He had changed, finally overcoming whatever demons he had been battling so hard inside of himself over the last several weeks. 

She just prayed he would let her in now, allow her to help him and rebuild the life and the love that they shared, but they had so much they needed to work through first, hurts and anger that needed to be mended.

Looking down, she saw her tears glistening on his muscular chest, creating a tantalizing trail down to his abdomen. “I…I’m sorry,” she whispered as she tentatively reached out her hand, trembling fingers wiping away the remnants of her tears.

Richard swallowed back the moan that instantly rose up in his throat with the feel of her touch against his chest, his eyes momentarily fluttering closed. Her fingers were like a hot flame setting his skin on fire with a desire so fierce he could barely contain it at that moment.

He reached up, capturing her hand and holding it against his chest. “Kahlan, it’s alright,” he murmured, his pulse racing as he gazed into her eyes, wondering if she could feel how hard his heart was pounding at that moment.

He wanted her more than anything in this world right now, but he didn’t want to push her. He wanted her to know in her heart who she wanted to be with, who she wanted to spend forever with. He wanted it to be him, but she would have to make the choice.

Everything inside of Kahlan ached to kiss him, to pull him down on top of her in their bed and never let him go, but fear and hurt kept her from making the first move, anger keeping her from taking what she wanted. 

She wanted Richard to want her too, to let her into his heart and life again. They needed to work through so many things before they could ever share in something so intimate, giving and taking, sharing in a love that was damaged right now.

“Kahlan, what were you dreaming about?” he finally asked, breaking the sexual tension that was so thick between them.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she shook her head, the fear returning to her eyes.

“I heard you calling out Tristan’s name, Kahlan,” he said, his voice holding a definite jealous edge to it. 

“I did?” she murmured, averting her eyes.

“Yes, you did,” he bit out. “I can tell you haven’t been sleeping well. Have you been having these nightmares every night?”

“Richard…”

“Talk to me, Kahlan,” he demanded, his hands moving to grip her upper arms.

“It’s Kao C’Id,” she admitted, drawing a shuddering breath. “He’s been haunting my dreams for the last three nights, showing me over and over again what he plans on doing to everyone that I care about.”

Stunned, Richard watched as tears glistened in her eyes again, her bottom lip beginning to tremble with the fear that still lingered deep within her. “How is he able to do that?”

“I don’t know, but it’s almost always the same,” she told him. “He begins by killing the citizens of Aydindril before murdering our friends one by one before my very eyes – Garren, Cara, Zedd, Nicci. Then he moves on to Tristan, my father…and then…and then you. I beg him to stop, but he just laughs in my face and forces me to watch as he slaughters you.”

“Kahlan, I’m so sorry,” he softly said, his hand coming to rest against her cheek.

“He then…he…kills our children…” she gasps, the tears falling faster again as she’s forced to relive it. “He taunts me as he throws their lifeless bodies at my feet…and…”

Richard swiftly pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against him as he finally shares her tears. “Kahlan, I promise you I’ll stop him,” he angrily ground out, raw rage flaming in his core with the things she was telling him. “I won’t let Kao C’Id near you or our children.”

“I’m terrified to close my eyes,” she cried. “Every time I do, he’s there waiting for me.”

“I’m going to get to the bottom of this and I’m going to put an end to it once and for all,” he told her, his voice so hard with resolve.

“Richard, I’m so scared we’re not going to survive this time,” she confessed.

Pulling back, he took her face in his hands, leaning in and gently pressing his lips to her forehead. “We can’t give up hope, Kahlan. I know…” He suddenly paused to draw a deep breath before confessing what was on his heart. “I know that I messed everything up before, but I’m here to make it right and to get you back, Kahlan. I’m not giving up on you and I’m not going to let this Kao C’Id destroy what we’ve worked so hard to build.”

Kahlan felt a flutter in the pit of her stomach with his words. She was almost afraid to dare hope it was true, that Richard was really here for her. She felt such confusion well up within her, not knowing what to believe anymore.

He could see uncertainty flood her blue eyes, fear swimming there in those beautiful depths. “Kahlan, it’s alright,” he told her, pressing his forehead against hers. “I know we have a lot to work through, that I nearly destroyed us, but I’m going to do whatever it takes to win you back again, to prove to you that I love you and that I’m so sorry for everything I did to hurt you. You mean everything to me, Kahlan…everything.”

“Richard, about Tristan…” she began, guilt suddenly so bitter inside of her.

“Don’t…not tonight,” he softly said, his throat constricting with what she was about to tell him. “We’ll talk more tomorrow. You need to sleep now.”

“I…I can’t,” she whispered, her hands gripping his forearms as fear roared to the surface again.

“Do you want me to stay here with you?” he tentatively asked, afraid to hope for the answer that he wanted to hear.

“Would you please stay…and hold me?” she softly asked, her blue eyes slowly lifting to finally meet his.

The pleading look in her eyes erased any lingering doubts that he had about his offer or his fear that she wouldn’t want him here. “Always, Kahlan,” he murmured, kissing her forehead again. “Always.”

Standing to his feet, he went around to the other side of the bed, sliding in beside her and pulling her back against his chest, his arms wrapping so securely around her. She willingly went to him, snuggling back into his hold on her.

Richard buried his face in her silky raven hair, inhaling deeply and absorbing the scent that drove him wild and yet soothed his very soul. Just when he thought he couldn’t possibly love her any more than he already did, she always managed to prove him so very wrong.

“Sleep, Kahlan,” he whispered into her ear causing a shiver to lance through her. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Thank you, Richard,” she sleepily replied.

“You never need to thank me, Kahlan,” he gently told her. “I would do anything in this world for you.”

Kahlan couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth with his words, her heart expanding with the love she felt inside for him. She had ached for this for so very long, to feel his hard muscular body surrounding her and yet she couldn’t deny the hurt that still lingered inside, the anger with him for pushing her away and turning to Nicci to share his heart with.

They still had a very long road ahead of them, but he was finally here, giving her a spark of hope that she had almost given up on.

XXX

Kao C’Id sat cross-legged on the floor in the center of the room, small candles burning softly in a circle around him. His eyes were closed, a smirk on his lips as his hands rested lightly on his knees. His back was straight as a board, sitting as still as if made completely of stone.

His muscles bulged beneath his armor that he always wore, his tanned skin glistening with sweat in the soft candlelight as he projected his thoughts with the dark occult magic that he had learned. His smug grin deepened even further as he felt Kahlan Rahl’s terror, bathed himself in her heart-wrenching pain as she watched her friends and family fall one by one.

The deaths that always hurt her most, though, were Richard Rahl and her children. No one could come close to comparing to the agonizing pain that seized hold of her every time it came for them to be slaughtered by his hand.

It was the sweetest kind of torture to him, making her relive the horror of their violent deaths over and over again. Through this nightly connection to her, he was gaining more of an understanding about the woman who carried the title of Mother Confessor and Lady Rahl of D’Hara. She truly was a remarkable woman in so many ways. It was a great pity that she would have to die along with her husband and children.

The time had finally come, the time for him to take over Aydindril and after that the entire Empire. Richard and Kahlan Rahl would have no idea what was coming until it was far too late. They would all be dead and the territories would finally belong to him to rule over.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 19

Cyrus Lang peered out the window watching his Lysria playing in the garden, her blond curls bouncing with her every step. A sad smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he watched his four year old granddaughter bend over and pick up a wiggling worm out of the dirt, holding it up in her small fist with more fascination than true fear.

She held it up to show her nursemaid Randa who smiled at the little girl before returning to the garden that she was tending. Randa loved Lysria as if she’d been her very own, helping take care of her ever since her Lysria’s parents death. 

Although married for over three years, Randa and her husband Neal had not been able to have children of their own and cherished the times that Cyrus had allowed them to keep Lysria over night in their home when Cyrus had to be away.

She was the dearest thing to his heart, the only flicker of light left in his life, becoming even more so since sweet Elera had been so viciously taken away from them. Her tragic death had signaled the end of his life and the birth of the twisted bitterness and hatred that had been slowly eating him alive ever since.

His eyes grew distant, wet with sudden sorrowful tears as his memories dragged him back to that dreadful day, the day that his world had stopped turning…the day that a piece of him had died along with his beloved only child.

It was over four years ago and yet it felt just like yesterday.

Elera had been out tending to the garden same as Randa was now, newborn Lysria asleep inside when D’Haran Quads had suddenly shown up searching for Confessors to slaughter and trouble to cause. Having found no Confessors so far, they had decided to have a little fun with Elera, brutally raping her mercilessly over and over again until her body had finally given out.

His son-in-law Eric had come home to find Elera dead in their garden, his baby daughter inside crying hysterically for her mother. Eric had never recovered after that, blaming himself for not being there to protect his wife. They’d found his body hanging from a tree a week later.

Cyrus and his wife had been raising their granddaughter ever since then while he had been secretly plotting a way to get revenge against the House of Rahl for sending out those D’Haran soldiers. He had worked tirelessly since then, fighting to find a way to return Aydindril and the Midlands to its former glory and finally bring peace to the land.

Soon after Elera’s death, Kahlan Amnell had been secretly sent out by the Mother Confessor and the Council to find the Seeker to help them defeat Darken Rahl. He had thought they were finally making great strides until they had discovered Richard Cypher was actually a Rahl as well.

It had only caused his anger and hatred to burn that much hotter knowing that their very own Mother Confessor, the woman that they had practically raised was actually marrying a Rahl. Not only had she turned her back on the Midlands, but also Aydindril, the people who had watched her grow up and become the believed saving grace of them all. 

While eternally grateful for all that Richard had done as the Seeker of Truth, saving them all from Darken Rahl and then the Keeper of the Underworld, he was still a Rahl, had Rahl blood flowing through his veins. He would be no different than his vile ancestors, couldn’t take the chance that he’d follow the same path of tyranny.

He longed to go back to the days when people could live their lives without constant worry about wickedness rising up to destroy everything that they had worked so hard for, where there was no fear of a Rahl to rule over them. 

Unfortunately in his secret efforts to take down the House of Rahl, Cyrus had missed the signs that his wife’s health had been rapidly declining until it was far too late to help her. He had lost Martha just last spring, burying her beneath the willow tree by the garden she loved so much.

He couldn’t help but wonder what Martha would’ve thought about what he had done, how much she would have disapproved had she known the lengths that he had gone to take down Richard and Kahlan Rahl. He had let her down.

It was just him and Lysria now, but even that was in great danger of being lost. How in the name of the Creator had everything fallen so out of control like this?

Cyrus’s eyes fell closed, his chin falling to his chest with a weary sigh filled with such regret. He couldn’t get the image of Trevor Bail being beheaded right before his eyes out of his mind, haunting his dreams and reminding him of what they…what he…had helped bring to Aydindril.

What had they been thinking by bringing such a monster into their midst, unleashing him upon their own home?

He should have kept better track of Trevor and what he had been involved in, who this Kao C’Id was and what he was truly all about. He had blindly followed Trevor and the decisions of their precious Alliance, allowing his hatred for the House of Rahl to cloud his judgment and now it was too late.

Kao C’Id was here and ready to take down Aydindril. Everyone who stood in his way would be slaughtered, innocent lives lost all because of what he had done. Guilt sat like a rancid bitter thing in the pit of his stomach, reminding him of his utter failure.

He had failed his daughter and son-in-law, failed his wife and granddaughter, failed the very people of Aydindril that he had been fighting so hard to protect. He had failed them all and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it, nothing that could ever make any of this right again.

Cyrus thought about packing up all of his stuff and whisking Lysria away from Aydindril, fleeing to Westland and hiding in the mountains until all of this was over. Keeping Lysria safe was his first priority. After that, everything else was a distant second.

Aydindril was about to fall, going up in flames with nothing but smoldering ashes and dust to be left in Kao’s wake. Kahlan and Richard Rahl would be dead along with their children and that would only be the beginning of the horrifying nightmare that was about to come.

XXX

Richard woke up to the feel of a body lying against him, slender arms wrapped around his torso and a leg hooked over his. He was afraid to open his eyes, to find it out it was all just an amazing dream, but deep down he knew it was not. It was Kahlan.

He could feel her warm breath softly pulsating against his chest, her long hair tickling his skin. She slowly began to stir, her hand caressing him in her sleep and rapidly heating his arousal. He had longed for this for what felt like an eternity and yet he knew he still had a long ways to go before she was truly his again.

Kahlan murmured something in her sleep as she began to stir again, her lips moving gently against his skin and causing a shiver of desire to sweep over him. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to remain still and not move despite the desperate growing urge to pull her on top of him, to make love to her.

She snuggled more firmly against him, tightening her hold on him and making it more than a little difficult to keep the fire simmering inside for her from suddenly roaring out of control. He could tell that she wasn’t ready to accept him just yet; the heartache and anger that swam in her eyes every time she looked at him letting him know how deeply he had truly hurt her.

“Kahlan,” he softly said her name, hating to wake her, but also not able to handle lying here like this with her for too much longer without touching her the way that he wanted to.

Kahlan sleepily murmured Richard’s name, her fingers beginning to roam over his chest again causing a startled gasp to escape his lips as her hand came to rest low on his abdomen and sliding along the hem of his sleeping pants. His eyes fell closed as he fought to control his breathing and the sudden racing of his pulse.

“Kahlan…wake up,” he tried again, his hand finding hers as he tried to shift away from her to put a little distance between them.

Kahlan woke up with the sound of his voice, suddenly aware of a very male, very masculine body in bed with her. She stiffened as events from last night rapidly filled her mind, reminding her of Richard coming to her bed to comfort her. She instantly relaxed into the feel of him beneath her, his chest pillowing her head. 

She had missed this so very much, had missed him more than anything in this world. She longed for this connection with her husband, the one who gave her strength and the will to fight. He was her anchor.

It took every ounce of strength she had not to move over him, to kiss him like she had been dreaming about ever since she’d left the People’s Palace, to feel the love and intimacy that bonded them as husband and wife. 

But as much as she wanted that…wanted him…they weren’t ready for that yet. They had too many things that needed to be worked out, too many hurts…too many questions. They were going to have to start all over again and hope that they could rebuild their lives together, get back to where they had been before Deryn and Michael, Sangria and the unborn baby that she had lost.

She just prayed they could get back to that point, hoped that they hadn’t changed so much through all of this that they couldn’t rediscover the love that had bound them together so long ago. 

Kahlan slowly sat up, brushing her long hair back over her shoulder as she awkwardly turned towards the handsome half-dressed man in her bed. She could feel a faint blush warm her cheeks either because of how she now realized she’d been caressing him or because of the smoldering look he was giving her.

“Morning,” she murmured, averting her gaze.

“Morning,” he smiled softly as he stared at her, somewhat amused by her sudden nervousness. 

It felt like in the beginning when they had both started becoming more and more aware of each other soon after they had first met, that sweet uneasiness and uncertainty that never ceased to create a flutter in the stomach. It awakened something deep inside of him, stirring his desire for her even more.

“I’m sorry about last night,” Kahlan apologized as she shifted to rest her back against the headboard of the bed. “You didn’t have to stay here with me.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Kahlan. Besides, there’s no other place I’d rather be than here with you,” he replied with a frown, rolling onto his side, bending his elbow and propping his head up with his hand. 

Kahlan gave him the smile that lit his heart like only she could ever do, causing that small spark of hope inside of him to grow a little brighter. “Thank you,” she told him. “I’m glad you’re here too. The children have missed you so much.”

“Me too,” he replied, wanting to hear that she had missed him too but refrained from pushing her. “You seemed to have slept a little better. Did you have any more nightmares?”

“Yes,” she nodded her head as she drew a ragged breath. “Kao was still there waiting for me, but it wasn’t nearly as intense as before. It was more fragmented and disjointed, more like a recurring dream that an eventual reality. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

“I’m just glad that you were able to get some sleep. You still look tried, though. Why don’t you sleep some more and I’ll take care of the children.”

“No, thank you,” she shook her head as she pursed her lips, hooking a raven curl behind her ear. “We have too much to do before Kao makes his move. We’re going to be up against the fight of our lives, Richard. We might not make it out of this one this time.”

Richard understood the truth of her words, the very real fear that laced them. He felt it too. “That’s part of the reason I’m here, Kahlan,” he admitted as he sat up, rubbing his face with his hands. 

Kahlan felt her heart sink a little in her chest. Hadn’t he come for her? “What do you mean?”

“Zedd found a prophecy about us and our daughters,” he informed her. “It’s not good.”

“When is it ever?” she frowned. “What does this one say?”

“A powerful storm will blow in from the north, descending like an unforeseen plague to destroy the bonded gifted. Once the bonded gifted are finally broken, the twins dually blessed with magic will forever split, one to the left and one to the right, marking the end of time.”

He recounted the prophecy for her word for word without flaw, without pause. He knew it inside out, replaying it in his mind over and over again since Zedd had first told it to him, tearing it apart and putting it back together again in a desperate search for an answer that continued to elude him.

He glanced over at Kahlan, finding her face ashen and fear clouding her eyes. “We…we’re the bonded gifted that’s broken…aren’t we?”

“Kahlan, it doesn’t mean that we’re broken forever,” he adamantly stated, moving to sit in front of her as he took her hands in his. “I will fix this. Do you hear me? I promise I will fix this.”

“So the only reason you came to Aydindril is because of the prophecy? Because of our children?” she asked, her gaze steadily growing hotter as her heart began to break.

“No, that’s not it at all,” he bit out as she broke free from his hold on her, climbing out of their bed to stand by the balcony doors. “Kahlan, I came back for you.”

“Is that the only reason you want to work things out between us?” she demanded to know, folding her arms across her chest and keeping her back to him. “To keep one of our daughters from possibly destroying the world?”

Richard quickly stood up, coming to stand behind her, tentative hands coming to rest on her bare shoulders. “That is not the reason I came to Aydindril,” he told her, the heat in his voice as well as his breath causing her to shiver involuntarily. “I came to get you back because I love you, Kahlan. You’re my whole world and I almost destroyed it. I allowed myself to become so blinded by my rage and pain that it nearly cost me everything. I’m here to make it right, Kahlan…to find a way to make you fall in love with me again.”

“Richard, I…” she began, swallowing back her rising tears. A sudden sharp knock at the door interrupted them, causing Richard’s chin to fall in defeat. “I…I should get that.”

Kahlan began to walk away from him only to be brought to an abrupt stop by Richard grabbing hold of her hand. “This isn’t over, Kahlan,” he firmly stated, his voice and eyes hard like steel. “I’m not going to give up on you…on us.”

She felt a fierce flutter deep in her core rise up within her, the determination in his chestnut brown eyes causing her breath to quicken. Another sharp insistent knock at the door broke the moment, keeping her from responding and forcing her to pull her hand free from his hold on her.

She quickly grabbed her robe, slipping her arms through the sleeves and tying it closed as she went through the greeting room to answer the door only to find Tristan standing there. “Tristan, what is it?” she asked, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable with Richard in her bedchambers.

“We’ve got more trouble brewing,” he scowled as he quickly walked past her into the greeting room.

“What’s going on?” Richard asked as he entered.

Tristan looked up to see the Lord Rahl coming from Kahlan’s bedchambers dressed in nothing but his sleeping pants. He felt the immediate scorch of jealousy sear through him, his throat constricting with anger, but he forced himself to tamp down on it. Now was not the time to get into it.

“There’s a large army heading towards Aydindril from the north,” Tristan told them both. “Edmund is with General Creene right now assembling the Aydindril Army and preparing for the worse.”

“How far away are they?” Richard asked.

“They’ll be here by tomorrow midday,” Tristan stated.

“It must be Kao’s men,” Kahlan said, more to herself than to the two men standing with her. “There’s no telling how many of his men have already infiltrated Aydindril. We could be looking at the largest massacre in the history of the Midlands if we can’t put a stop to this.”

“This is far from over, Kahlan,” Richard adamantly stated. “We’re not going to just sit back and let Kao C’Id take over Aydindril and everything that we’ve fought so hard to build.”

“Lord Rahl is right, Kahlan,” Tristan reluctantly agreed. “We aren’t going to just let Kao have Aydindril or the D’Haran Empire. We’ll do everything in our power to stop him. I’ve already sent for the Tashon Guards to come to Aydindril immediately. They should be here the day after tomorrow.”

“By then it’ll be too late,” Kahlan shook her head.

“Not necessarily,” Richard replied. “The more men we can get the better. They might be able to help stop or intercept any more of Kao’s men from joining his forces.”

“We need to put Aydindril on alert,” Tristan suggested, turning towards Kahlan and doing his best to keep from imagining what had happened between her and Richard last night.

“No, we can’t,” Kahlan insisted, her forehead creased in thought mingled with fear. “We don’t want Kao to know that we are on to him. We need to keep this secret…just for now.”

“But shouldn’t we alert the people of Aydindril so they can prepare themselves for possible war?” Tristan countered.

“We will once we get confirmation of what army is actually approaching and their true intent,” Richard told him.

Tristan whirled on his heel to face Richard, his face filled with anger. “We know what their intentions are,” he snapped. “They want to destroy Aydindril.”

“Do you know with absolute certainty that they are Kao’s men?” Richard glared back at him. “Besides Kahlan’s nightmares, do we truly know what Kao’s intent is? It could just be some sort of ploy, a cover for an ulterior motive.”

“No, we don’t know yet, but…”

“I’m not saying that Kao isn’t out to take over Aydindril or that those men aren’t his, but we need to tread carefully until we know more,” Richard shot back. “We need to find Kao so Kahlan can confess him, find out his true motives.” 

“I agree, Richard, but what about the prophecy?” Kahlan asked. “The prophecy says that an unforeseen plague will destroy us. What if Kao is this unforeseen plague?”

Richard turned to Kahlan, moving to stand before her. “You know how I feel about prophecy, Kahlan,” he told her, his voice suddenly gentle once more. “At the same time, I do believe that Kao could be this plague the prophecy is describing. That’s why we need to find him…now. You saw him in Aydindril already so we know he’s here. We just need to track him down so you can confess him.”

Kahlan returned Richard’s intent stare, losing herself once more in those eyes that seem to know her very soul, knew her better than she knew herself sometimes. She slowly nodded her head in agreement, knowing that if anyone could find a way out of this it was Richard.

He had proven himself over and over again over the years and she knew that he would not fail them now. Despite everything, she trusted him with her whole heart.

Tristan watched Richard and Kahlan, his stomach churning with the realization that he never really had a chance at winning Kahlan’s heart. It always was and always would belong to Richard Rahl no matter what. The sooner he accepted that the sooner he could put his heart back together again.

“I guess we only have one day to find Kao C’Id then,” Kahlan finally replied.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 20

Cara gritted her teeth as she slammed the end of her agiel into the man’s side, the familiar sickening crack of the weapon’s affect on his ribs despite the thick layer of fat the shielded his bones filling her ears with a definite feeling of satisfaction. He cried out despite himself, losing his grip on his sword as he dropped to his knees, doubling over in agonizing pain.

She swiftly kicked him in the jaw sending him spiraling flat onto the ground before turning her attention to the next one. This was the sixth riot that had broken out since Richard had left for Aydindril, the revolts intensifying and growing more deadly every time.

So far, they’d been unable to uncover a reason for the sudden rebellion against Richard and Kahlan, but she was bound and determined to get to the bottom of it one way or another.

People were growing more afraid about venturing outside, not knowing when an uprising might occur or who was truly instigating them. Rumors were running rampant through the city like violent torrents, carving through every man and woman, rich or poor.

There was an unsettling sense of tension and fear that had settled over the city, one that was felt by everyone whether they were willing to admit it or not. Things had changed drastically since Richard Rahl took over rule of D’Hara, shifting from a cold sense of unrest and fear to one of growing unity, a thread of peace weaving itself throughout the People’s Palace.

For the most part, the attempts at insurrection had been unsuccessful. Most of the people at the People’s Palace were in full support of Lord and Lady Rahl, the revolts turning into a full out fight in order to stop the instigators in an effort to protect their beloved rulers.

They had been able to arrest a couple of men so far who had been involved in starting the riots, but unfortunately they either knew nothing more than they were to incite blasphemous slander against the House of Rahl and the D’Haran Empire or they outright refused to talk.

They needed Kahlan here to confess these men in order to get the answers they needed. Cara wished sometimes that Richard would let her use her agiel the way that she had been trained to use it, interrogating them the way that she needed to right now.

She’d almost lost control yesterday, nearly agieling an arrogant man beyond what was deemed humane or necessary before Garren had abruptly stopped her. The man had smugly grinned at her, telling them that Lord Rahl and the Mother Confessor were on the verge of destruction and that there was nothing they were going to be able to do to stop it.

Garren had had to hold her back to keep her from shredding the prisoner to pieces. He had dragged her away, forcing her to leave before she did something that she’d later regret. Now, though, she didn’t think that she ever would’ve regretted tormenting that piece of scum until he’d told them every last shred of information that they had needed.

She knew in her heart, though, that her husband had been right. It was not Richard’s way to torture and terrorize prisoners to the verge of death, not after what he’d endured at the hands of Denna. He refused to be anything remotely like Darken Rahl or any of his other ancestors and she couldn’t blame for that.

Finishing off another, Cara began to turn as the tip of a sword sliced through her arm causing her to grit her teeth as pain lanced through her injured limb. She swiftly dodged another swing of the sword before spinning on her heel and slamming her agiel into the chest of her attacker.

She could hear Garren shouting her name, but ignored it as she pressed on, refusing to stop until this was settled once and for all. Whoever was behind all of these revolts was going to pay dearly for opposing Richard and Kahlan in such a malicious way.

Turning, Cara found that there were no more opponents to fight, no one else trying to create chaos in the marketplace. Hooking her agiels to her waist, she suddenly found herself being pulled into Garren’s arms, her face in the crook of his neck.

“Are you alright?” he breathed heavily as he finally allowed himself a moment to check her over.

“I’m fine,” she insisted, swiftly pulling out of his embrace, her green eyes darting about in discomfort at being in seen in public in her husband’s arms. “Did we capture whoever started it this time?”

“No, I’m afraid not,” Holland said as he approached, sheathing his sword before wiping the sweat from his brow. “One of the vendors tried to stop him when it first broke out. It turned into a pretty vicious sword fight, our instigator coming out on the losing end.”

“He had to have had someone working with him,” Cara shook her head in anger, her pulse still racing with the need to protect her Lord Rahl as well as Kahlan. The idea of someone plotting to destroy them ate away at her insides with utter helplessness.

“He’s over there,” Holland pointed with his chin to an unconscious man lying on the ground being chained up by some of his guards.

“We have got to get a handle on this and fast,” Cara bit out, clenching her fists as she began to storm away.

“Cara, wait!” Garren called, running to catch up with her. “You need to have Nicci look at your arm.”

“I will later,” Cara snapped, not pausing to wait for her husband to catch up with her. “I want to send a message to Richard and Kahlan in that Journey book.”

Garren grabbed hold of her uninjured arm, forcing her to stop and talk to him. “You can’t do that, Cara,” he heatedly reminded her. “Richard said we weren’t supposed to use it no matter what.”

“But Richard didn’t know that this was going to happen,” she scowled, spreading her arms to indicate the mess around her that the latest uprising had created, ignoring the warm sticky feeling of blood on her injured arm. “What if they’re having similar trouble in Aydindril? I think that Richard needs to know what’s happening in his own home.”

“But we don’t even know for sure what is happening here or why,” Garren pointed out. “I think we should wait until we know more. Besides, we don’t know what’s happening in Aydindril. What if our message in the Journey book puts Richard and Kahlan in more danger than they are already in?”

Cara ground her teeth, her green eyes flashing with a furious storm that hinted at the tempest brewing within. Creator help whoever got in her way or tried to hurt Richard and Kahlan. She drew a deep breath in an effort to calm her anger, knowing that lashing out at Garren wasn’t going to fix it.

“How much longer are we going to wait? How far will things spiral out of control before we tell them?” she demanded to know. “I can’t just sit back and watch everything fall apart around us…know that Richard and Kahlan are in trouble and there’s nothing we can do to help them.”

“I know it’s hard, but we need to continue to do everything we can to get a handle on things here and hope that Richard and Kahlan are able to do their part in Aydindril,” Garren told her. “Richard trusted us to take care of the People’s Palace and we can’t let him down.”

“I feel so helpless,” she admitted with a huff, averting her eyes under his intense dark gaze. She slowly raked her teeth over her bottom lip as she folded her arms against her chest. “I don’t do helpless well, Garren.”

“I know that, but I also know that you’re the strongest woman I have ever met, Cara,” Garren replied, closing the distance between them as he laid his hands on her shoulders. “We won’t let Richard and Kahlan down. We’ll do everything in our power to keep control of the situation here and pray that they’re able to handle whatever is taking place in Aydindril.”

Cara nodded her head in understanding, knowing that he was right once again…and it annoyed the hell out of her. “How do you manage to always be right?” she growled.

“It’s a gift,” he smirked, leaning in and kissing her forehead.

“Cara…Garren,” Nicci called as she rushed towards them, the skirt of her black dress whipping with her hurried pace. “Is everyone alright?”

“Cara could use your magical touch,” Garren told her, gently taking Cara’s injured arm in his hands and showing her the large gash.

Nicci frowned as she focused on Cara’s injury, pulling back the torn red leather from the wound so she could get a better look at it. “What started the revolt this time?” she asked as she began to use her magic to heal the injury.

“A couple of guys in the marketplace began spouting lies about Richard and Kahlan, saying that they are only out for themselves and not the good of the people,” Garren sighed heavily as he watched Nicci work on healing his wife.

“Were we able to get anyone alive this time?” Nicci asked as she finished with the Mord’Sith’s arm. “There…good as new.”

“Thanks,” Cara muttered, trying out her arm to find the majority of the pain gone, some minor stiffness left in its place. “We were able to capture one of them, but he’s unconscious. Not sure how long until he’ll wake up.”

“I might be able to help things along,” Nicci smiled mischievously at them.

“Good luck getting any information from them,” the Mord’Sith scowled. “We haven’t been able to get anything more than hatred for Richard and Kahlan. Someone is definitely out to get them. The problem is figuring out who it is.”

Nicci crossed her arms against her chest in consideration. “Do you still think it’s related to whatever could be possibly going on in Aydindril?”

“I’m beginning to think that it has to be related in some way,” Garren shook his head, his stormy gray eyes narrowing with anger. “It’s too much of a coincidence for there to be troubling brewing in Aydindril at the same time that revolts are erupting here at the People’s Palace.

“They’re both the ruling seats of the Lord and Lady Rahl for the D’Haran Empire. Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to plan all of this. Unfortunately, it seems that Richard and Kahlan are at the heart of it all again.”

“I wonder if they’ve been able to discover who that person is yet,” Nicci replied thoughtfully, her worry for her friends growing.

XXX

“Do you really think that we’re going to be able to find Kao C’Id?” Kahlan asked as she stood on the balcony of her suite, her arms folded as she looked out over Aydindril.

“We have to,” Richard told her as he came to stand beside her. “One way or another we have to find him before that army arrives here tomorrow.”

“I don’t think that Kao will be found until he’s good and ready to be found,” Kahlan wearily admitted, her blue eyes growing distant with the fear that nearly choked her.

“Kahlan, we are not going to give up until Kao has been stopped,” the Seeker reassured her, his hand finding her shoulder and squeezing it gently. “I won’t let him hurt our family.”

Kahlan gave him a small smile that barely curled her lips, her sad eyes quickly returning to the landscape stretching out before her. It was one that she had loved, one that had always brought her peace, but now it filled her with nothing but dread knowing what laid in store for her people.

“It’s too late to get my father and the children out of Aydindril now with this army coming.”

Watching her, Richard slowly nodded his head in agreement. “I think it’s better if they stay here where we can protect them.”

“You really think so?” she asked with an expression of stunned disbelief, suddenly turning to face him. “We have no clue who we can trust around here anymore, Richard. Half the Council is corrupt and out to destroy us, some unknown assassin is lose in the city that is determined to kill us, and no one has seen Trevor Bail in a couple of days.”

“He was one of the leaders on the Council wasn’t he?” Richard frowned.

Kahlan swallowed hard as she nodded her head. “These were people that I have known ever since I came to Aydindril to train as a Confessor,” she softly told him, the hurt and betrayal of all of this cutting so deep within her. It felt like her own family had somehow turned against her. “I trusted them, Richard. I thought that they fully supported us, supported everything we were doing to preserve peace by forming the D’Haran Empire.”

Richard’s heart broke for Kahlan, the pain of all of this weighing so heavily upon her and threatening to drag her down. And he had only added to it all with the deep hurts that he had so blatantly carved into her heart, deeply wounding his own wife. 

He’d never forgive himself for what he had done to her, swearing to himself that he would spend the rest of his life trying to make it up to her. She deserved so much more than what he had given her, deserved a husband who treated her like the amazing woman that she was.

“I’m so sorry, Kahlan,” he told her, tentatively pulling her into his arms. He was surprised as well as delighted when she came willingly; the feel of her head tucked into the crook of his neck and pressed flush against his body like coming home all over again. “I can’t begin to imagine how incredibly hard this must be for you. I wish there was something I could do to make it better for you.”

Kahlan allowed herself the momentary luxury of wrapping her arms around her husband’s waist, relishing the feel of his muscular form, his masculine scent and the solace that he always managed to instill within her. 

For this one brief flicker of time, there was no lost baby, no war on the horizon, no betrayal or treason. There was no crumbling marriage or broken hearts aching to be mended. There was no anger or guilt, bitterness or resentment. There was no looming prophecy or Tristan Kabay lingering in the background trying to win her heart.

There was only Kahlan and the man that she loved more than her own life and things were perfect if but for only this one single moment in time.

Drawing a deep breath, she forced herself to pull away from him, knowing that they didn’t have time to wallow in things that could not be changed. All they could now was try to prevent the storm that was building from destroying everything that they had worked so hard for, keep the people that they had sworn to protect safe.

Turning, Kahlan reentered their bedchambers, tucking a raven lock behind her ear as she fought to regain control of her roiling emotions. Richard’s heart sank, his chin falling to his chest as she pulled away from him, wanting more than anything to fix things between them. He couldn’t stand this heavy tension that was crushing in on them from every side, the painful abyss that separated them.

Following her inside, Richard immediately reached for her hand. “Kahlan…we need to talk…”

“There are two of my favorite people,” Zedd smiled as he entered through the open door from the greeting room. His smile quickly faded as he took in the grim expressions on the Seeker and Mother Confessor’s faces. “What’s wrong? Has something happened?”

“There’s a very large army approaching from the north that we believe belongs to Kao C’Id,” Kahlan informed him as she sat down in a chair before the fireplace, somewhat thankful for Zedd’s interruption. She wasn’t ready to talk to Richard yet, to relive all the pain and anger right now. “They’ll be in Aydindril by some time tomorrow afternoon.”

“Oh dear,” Zedd shook his head in shock as he sank into a chair beside her, the words of the prophecy rolling through his mind all over again. This was the coming storm, the plague upon humanity. He felt it deep within his tired old bones. “What’s the plan?”

“Tristan and General Creene are discreetly beginning preparations to lock down the entire city,” Richard told him, coming to stand beside Kahlan’s chair.

“Discreet? Aren’t you going to warn the citizens?” Zedd asked.

“Not yet,” the Seeker replied. “We want to find Kao C’Id before he knows we’re on to him. We want him to think that we’re still unaware about what’s going on.”

“If the army is going to be here by tomorrow afternoon, that doesn’t give us a whole lot of time,” Zedd groused. 

“I know,” Richard scowled as he leaned against the edge of a table. “Edmund has already increased patrols of the city. I’m going out shortly to see if I can find this Kao C’Id so Kahlan can confess him.”

“I’m going with you,” Kahlan informed him.

“You should stay here with the children,” Richard firmly told her. He couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her, images of Sangria beating Kahlan still haunting his sleep.

“I’m not going to cower in my suite while that man threatens to take over Aydindril and murder my family,” she insisted as she stood to her feet, her sapphire eyes like twin flames of defiant fire.

“And I’m not about to stand by and let my wife be slaughtered by that madman,” Richard growled.

“I can take care of myself, Richard,” she snapped. “I was doing it long before I met you and I was doing just fine before you suddenly decide to come to Aydindril.”

Her stinging words were like a punch to his gut, his face visibly flinching with her furious retort. He swallowed back his hurt, forcing himself to tamp down on the rage simmering deep inside of him. Part of him wanted to grab her and kiss her senseless, the rest of him wanting to fall to his knees and beg her forgiveness.

The pained expression that flitted across Richard’s face pricked her heart, knowing that she had cut him with her words. She wished she could take it back and yet there was a part of her that wanted him to know how much he had hurt her, to feel that terrible ache that had settled into her chest.

Kahlan had trusted him with her heart, had given it to him to treasure and protect like she had his and he had broken it, pushing her away from him as if she had meant nothing to him anymore. He was the last person in the world that she thought would ever hurt her and he had proven her wrong.

Zedd’s worried gaze shifted from Kahlan to Richard, the tension in the room enough to suffocate. They so desperately needed time to work things out between them, but unfortunately time was not on their side right now, not with Kao C’Id on the loose and his army about ready to knock on their door.

“Alright you two…that’s enough,” Zedd finally spoke up as he stood to his feet. “I know you two have issues that you need to talk through in order to repair your marriage, but you don’t have that luxury at the moment. We need to work together to stop this C’Id fellow from destroying Aydindril.”

Kahlan and Richard glared hotly at one another, each knowing that Zedd was right. “Zedd, I want you to stay here with Frederick, Katrina, and the children,” Richard told him, forcing his body to relax a little. “Make sure they are safe no matter what it takes. Kahlan and I will take Rachel with us to help look for Kao.”

Kahlan unclenched her fists, trying to regain control of her anger. “I’ll go get Rachel,” she said as she turned to leave the room.

Richard’s intense gaze silently followed her as she left to find Rachel, his hand instinctively falling to the hilt of his sword that hung at his hip. “I don’t like this, Zedd,” he bit out, his jaw clenching.

“I know, but you aren’t going to be able to stop her, Richard,” Zedd reminded him with a knowing smile. “Creator knows you’ve tried over the years and you’ve never been able to keep her from plunging headlong into the heart of trouble no matter what it is.”

The Seeker sighed heavily, shaking his head with a bittersweet smile on his face. “I know,” he reluctantly admitted. “I just love her so much it hurts sometimes, Zedd. I’m already on the verge of losing her to Tristan Kabay. I can’t lose her forever to Kao C’Id. I won’t survive something like that.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 21

Richard and Kahlan made their way through the bustling halls of the Confessor’s Palace followed closely by Mistress Rachel who kept a watchful eye on them. Their expressions were anything but pleasant in that moment, determination in their every step as they quickened their pace in order to face the unknown head-on.

They had a deadly threat that needed to be stopped once and for all and nothing was going to get in the way of that, nothing getting in the way of defending the people they had sworn to protect with their lives.

Zedd and Frederick had taken Katrina and the children to a secret suite hidden deep within the Confessor’s Palace that was used in case of an emergency and this had definitely qualified as one. Aggie had been sent along with them to make sure they were well taken care of, plenty of food and water stockpiled for them that would last them for at least a couple of weeks.

There was no way predicting how long this was going to take and Richard and Kahlan didn’t want to take any chances especially with their children and loved ones. It had been more than difficult for her kissing them goodbye, not knowing if or when they would be able to see them again, but they knew their children were in good hands with Zedd and Frederick. They would do everything in their power to get them safely back to the People’s Palace where Garren and Cara would raise them if it came to that.

Kahlan swallowed back a sob that had suddenly risen up in her chest, lodging painfully in her throat with the thought of never seeing them again, of never having a chance to work things out with Richard, telling him how much she truly loved him. 

They were on the verge of a possible war with Kao, their very lives hanging so precariously in the balance once more. She didn’t want to die, didn’t want to lose Richard especially with the way their marriage was teetering on the precipice of collapse. She wanted a chance to work things out with him.

Her insides were twisted with a need to fierce, an overwhelming desire to pull Richard into the nearest room and tell him how much he had devastated her heart, crushing her spirit. She wanted to hit him, to shake him until he opened up to her again like he used to and yet she wanted to kiss him and never stop, to lose herself in him all over again.

But they didn’t have time for that, her life once again being placed behind the needs of everyone else. When was there going to be a chance for them, a moment when there wasn’t anything or anyone trying to tear them apart at the seams? When would there be a time when they could just be left alone to enjoy the life that they were building together…or at least had been trying to build together until everything had started unraveling?

Richard cast a sidelong glance at his wife, sensing the tension and frustration that was flowing through her veins and rolling off of her in waves. Fire danced in her blue eyes, her brow furrowed deep in thought. Her lips were pursed with a definite anger that no doubt matched his own, her hands clenched tightly at her sides as she walked.

He wished he knew what she was thinking in that moment, how much of her anger belonged to him. He knew it was selfish to dwell on their personal struggles in a dire time such as this, but he could never get Kahlan out of his head even if he wanted to.

He was beyond desperate to work things out between them and repair the damage that he had caused, to tell Kahlan all of it…everything…including the fact that he had kissed Nicci. His stomach clenched with the reminder of that foolish drunken moment, wishing more than anything that he could take it back.

Although somewhat hazy from the effects of the alcohol, he could unfortunately still remember it, remembered the overwhelming need to feel something…anything except for that crippling heartache that had consumed him, devouring him from the inside out.

He had wanted to stop his mind from taking him down paths that he didn’t want to tread, stop it from creating horrifying images of Tristan seducing his wife. The thought of Kahlan giving herself to another man incited such bitter rage in his core that it was nearly paralyzing, keeping him from being able to think straight.

He just hoped that Kahlan would be able to find it in her heart to forgive him, to give him a second chance and allow him to prove his love her once more. He swore to himself that he’d never lose sight again of what was most precious in his life to him. He had come too close to being destroyed because of it.

And now, he had a tyrant lose in Aydindril trying to destroy his family, take what he loved most. He wasn’t about to let that happen. He would lay down his life before he allowed Kao C’Id to touch his wife or children, take away the Empire that he and Kahlan had built.

He was not about to let his people be thrust back under the oppressive thumb of another vile tyrant like Darken Rahl. They had fought too hard and too long for peace, had risked far too much. Kao was not going to take all of that away from them, wasn’t going to allow him to destroy the future that he had been dreaming of for their children.

Richard’s entire body grew taut as he suddenly spotted Tristan Kabay rounding the corner and coming straight for them. His face was set like stone, his eyes locked solely on Kahlan as he marched towards them. It made Richard’s blood instantly grow hot with jealous fury. He wasn’t about to let Tristan take his wife away from him. It only made him that much more determined to make Kahlan his again. 

“Kahlan,” Tristan called.

Kahlan, Richard, and Rachel all stopped as Tristan approached. “What is it?” Kahlan asked with a frown, a fleeting glance at Richard telling her that he was already growing rigid with jealousy.

It made her heart soar and yet fueled her anger, making her pulse race. What right did Richard have to be jealous of Tristan after he had poured his heart out to Nicci instead of his own wife? It caused her to tighten her fists even more, her fingernails biting into her palms as she fought the storm of emotions churning within.

She knew that she shouldn’t be jealous of Sister Nicci. She was a trusted friend, had proven herself more times than she could count. It wasn’t her fault that Richard had chosen her to pour his heart out to instead of her, had decided to push Kahlan away instead of letting her in.

“General Creene has started to lock down the city,” Tristan informed them, his attention only on Kahlan as he spoke. “All of his men have been given Kao C’Id’s description from what you told us and are on the lookout for him.”

“Good,” Richard interjected in an effort to draw Tristan’s attention away from Kahlan. “We’re going out now to look for him as well.”

Tristan turned a furious gaze upon the Seeker, his eyes flashing. “You’re letting Kahlan go out there to help look for Kao C’Id?” he spat out. “Do you not know how he’s been haunting her nightmares, tormenting her with the things that he wants to do to her? He wants to kill her, kill your children.”

“First of all, Kahlan is my wife, not some submissive pawn to control,” Richard heatedly shot back, his hand finding the hilt of his sword. “I trust her with my life and I trust her ability to take care of herself. Second of all, she knows Aydindril better than I do. She knows the best places to hide out.”

“I know Aydindril just as well as Kahlan does,” Tristan coldly stated. “I’ll go with you.”

“Tristan, I’m going whether you like it or not,” Kahlan fumed, although a part of her was somewhat amused by the fact that it hadn’t been that long ago that Richard had been the one telling her she wasn’t going to help look for Kao.

Tristan ground his teeth as he glared hotly at the Seeker before finally looking at Kahlan. “I don’t like this, Kahlan,” he told her, ignoring the others. “You’re putting yourself out there where Kao can get to you. You might as well just hand yourself over to him.”

“I’m going to be with her,” Richard informed him. “I won’t let anything happen to her.” 

“Now all of the sudden you care about her?” Tristan hissed, turning his anger on the Seeker. “You weren’t there when Kahlan was crushed over the loss of your baby, when she needed someone to hold her. You let her leave the People’s Palace feeling as though you didn’t love or want her anymore and then you suddenly show up in Aydindril like nothing ever happened.”

Every single word was like the stab of a knife to Richard’s heart, giving him just the briefest glimpse into what Kahlan had endured, what she had felt and thought because of his actions. It nearly took his legs out from under him, knowing how deeply he had truly hurt her.

“I love Kahlan and she is still me wife,” Richard sneered at him, each word punctuated by his fury. “I came back to Aydindril for her and my children, to hopefully earn her forgiveness and win her back and I will not let you get in the way of that.”

“You have no right…” Tristan scowled.

“Enough!” Kahlan suddenly yelled. “We have bigger problems than what is going on between Richard and me right now. We need to find Kao and stop this before he takes Aydindril hostage.”

Several tense moments passed by as Tristan and Richard glared at one another. “You’re right,” Richard sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Kahlan.”

“Tristan, I’m more than grateful to you for being there for me when we left the People’s Palace, but I can take care of myself. I’m not ready to give up on my marriage just yet,” she told him before turning her attention to her husband. “And Richard, I appreciate you coming to Aydindril to try to save our marriage, but I’m not going to just go back to the way things were as if nothing ever happened. You broke my heart and it’s going to take time for me to heal.”

Richard slowly nodded his head, swallowing back his heart that had leapt into his throat. He was relieved that Kahlan was going to at least give him a chance, giving him the time that he needed right now to make things right. At the same time, he knew that he had a very long road ahead of him before he was going to be able to earn Kahlan’s trust again.

Tristan drew a deep breath in order to rein in his emotions, knowing that Kahlan had already chosen Richard over him. She just didn’t realize it yet, but he knew it, could feel it in his soul. He had lost his chance and lost Kahlan once again.

“Where do you want me to start looking for Kao?” Tristan finally asked, his shoulders slumping.

Kahlan felt her heart prick with guilt, the look of loss and anguish swimming in Tristan’s blue eyes telling her that she had hurt him all over again. She had never meant to cause him pain or give him false hope of a future with her.

She had just been so heartbroken and confused when Richard had let her leave for Aydindril without so much as a fight or a word. She thought that he didn’t want her, love her anymore. Tristan had been there when she had needed someone the most, but now that Richard was here, willing to fight for her and their marriage she knew where her heart belonged…where it had always belonged.

“We need to split up to cover more ground. Take Rachel with you and start searching the east side,” Kahlan told him. “Richard and I will start on the west side and meet you in the marketplace.”

Tristan slowly nodded his head in agreement, casting a scowl at Richard before stepping aside to let them pass so he and Rachel could leave together. He was not the least bit happy about this, but he wasn’t going to stand in the way if Richard was who Kahlan truly wanted. 

Despite how much he loved her, how much he wanted her to be with him, he only wanted her to be happy. And it was obvious that it wasn’t him who would be the one to make her happy.

XXX

Kao C’Id sat back in his chair, propping his large black boots up on top of the table with a resounding thud. He pulled out a long sleek blade he kept hidden in his left boot, using the deadly point to begin picking the dirt free from beneath his fingernails.

A sick smirk played on his lips as he carefully dug away at a week’s worth of filth, his mind playing through his plans that were about to come to fruition. After removing Trevor Bail’s head, the rest of the Alliance had quickly fallen into an unspoken submission to his authority, their terror more than evident.

It was finally time to purge the land starting with Aydindril by permanently removing Richard and Kahlan Rahl. They stood in the way of what he wanted, presented too great of a risk to be allowed to live. Eliminating them as well as their children ultimately ensured his success.

He had come too far to allow Richard Rahl to stop him now. He needed to make his move soon if he was going to take control of the Confessor’s Palace. He knew the best way to flesh out the Seeker was through the Mother Confessor. Getting her would guarantee the delivery of Richard Rahl right into his hands. Their love affair was legendary and it would be their downfall.

Kao didn’t even look up as the door opened, thoroughly enjoying where his thoughts were leading him. He knew it was Theon who had entered the room, the man who had been by his side all along, sharing in this incredible journey with him.

Theon had been with him in the very beginning and would be there with him when he took over the D’Haran Empire, ruling at his right hand.

Theon was a tall and muscular man, an intimidating sight but not quite as enormous as Kao. His temper ran deep…too deep sometimes, coming through in the violent way that he killed, his never-ending thirst for blood that desperately sought to be quenched. 

Even as gifted in the dark occults as Kao was, Theon’s fiery temper had almost caused Kao to take pause…almost. They only did what had to be done for the greater good. That was what had bound them from the very beginning – the deep desire for a better way; a better world and they would be the ones to do it.

Growing up in the desolate wasteland of Nori Strait in the southern most part of the Old World, Kao and Theon knew all too well the cruelties of life, the harshness of the world. They had sworn even back then at the age of fifteen that they were going to make a difference…and they had.

The world didn’t know of them yet, but soon they would know of Kao C’Id and the Alliance all too well. And by then, it would be far too late to avoid the fierce storm that was about to come.

“We need to make our move,” Theon finally spoke; his distinct gravelly voice seeming to make the very floor boards vibrate with its deep resonance.

“Patience, Theo,” Kao casually replied without even looking up.

“Rumors are already circulating around Aydindril that trouble is brewing,” Theon informed him, leaning forward, his large forearms resting on the table.

Kao grunted with a deep rolling laugh. “What are the great residents of Aydindril saying now?”

Theon frowned with Kao’s dismissive attitude. He was a little too cock-sure sometimes for his own good. It was going to get them both in trouble someday. He was going to have to make sure that didn’t happen.

“Anything and everything,” Theo snorted. “Some say that Lord Rahl is sending the Aydindril army to seize Westland in order to add it to the D’Haran Empire. Other rumors say that the D’Haran Empire is crumbling, these riots that you’ve instigated a sign of the beginning of the end for the House of Rahl.”

“It is the beginning of the end for the House of Rahl,” Kao sneered as he suddenly sat up in his chair, his boots hitting the wooden floor causing them to creak loudly. The hungry gleam in his eye belied the fury in his voice. “I will personally see to it.”

“We will both personally see to it, Kao,” Theon stiffened.

“We’ve worked too hard to get this far,” Kao scowled. “I will not have this chance slip through our fingers. I think I shall kill the Rahl children first starting with their infant son, make his parents watch as I slice him to shreds. Then, I believe the twin Confessor daughters should come next. 

“I think after that I will kill Kahlan Rahl…only after I’ve had my way with her as her husband watches of course,” he continued as the corners of his lips curled with growing pleasure. “I want Richard to watch as I dissect her piece by beautiful piece, forced to watch as I take away each and every one of his precious family members, cutting them down one by one until he has nothing left to live for. 

“I will make him suffer like nothing he’s ever experienced before and when he thinks he can’t take anymore I will torture him until he draws his final breath.”

“I don’t think we should allow him to live that long, Kao,” Theon shook his head, a grim look of disapproval on his broad tanned face. “The longer he is alive, the greater the chance for his revenge against you for taking away his family.”

“I didn’t come this far to not get what I have dreamed about for so long, Theo,” Kao snarled, slamming his fist like a sledge hammer onto the table that shook from the force of the impact, nearly shattering it.

“And I have not followed you these last fifteen years to lose everything because of your hatred for the House of Rahl,” Theo shot back, not backing down in the least from the hulk of a man who’s very presence made hardened men recoil in fear.

“This is not just about my hatred for the House of Rahl and you know it,” Kao sneered, stabbing the end of his knife into the wooden table. “We set out to build a whole new world. Destroying the House of Rahl is just the beginning of that dream. No one will ever remember the Rahls by the time the Alliance has taken over. All they will know if Kao C’Id.”

“We need to make our move soon,” Theo stated, leaping to his feet in heated frustration. “Aydindril soldiers are roaming the city looking for you now. If they capture you…”

“They will not capture me,” Kao smirked. “No one will be able to stop me.”

Theon shook his head, placing his hands on top of the table as he leaned forward. “Don’t underestimate Richard Rahl.”

“Richard Rahl should not underestimate me,” Kao stated with a sneer on his lips as he folded his powerful muscular arms across his broad chest. “It all starts now.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 22

Mistress Rachel ground her teeth, her green-eyed gaze scanning the crowds for the man who was out to destroy her Lord and Lady Rahl. At the same time, she was attempting to keep up with Tristan Kabay who was stalking through the city at a fast clip like an angry gar unleashed.

Since seeing Richard and Kahlan this morning, Tristan had been in a jealous foul mood that she was more than determined to break him out of if it was the last thing that she did. This was getting very old, very fast. They didn’t have time for this, not with a predator on the loose that they needed to fine before he took over the city.

“Did you honestly think you were going to be able to win her heart?” Rachel asked, noticing a small misstep in his gait that her unexpected question caused before quickly righting himself.

Tristan swallowed hard as his eyes searched the rapidly growing crowds of people streaming into the city, wrestling with the tempest brewing inside of him. “Yes,” he finally softly replied with a calm anguish that surprised the Mord’Sith. “I had hoped that in time Kahlan could come to love me like she did…does…love Richard.”

Rachel felt an unexpected twinge of sympathy for this man before her, a fleeting wish for a love like that sweeping through her. “I’m sorry, Tristan,” she tentatively responded, not knowing how to comfort him. It was one thing a Mord’Sith was not trained to do.

Tristan came to a sudden stop, stunned by her words. “I know it must seem completely foolish to hold out hope for someone who could never truly love you back,” he told her as he turned to face her; his whole demeanor slumped in defeat. “Kahlan is just…amazing. She captured my heart so long ago. I thought we could just pick up where things had left off, but I was wrong.”

“It’s not foolish to love someone,” she shook her head, her lips pursed into a grim line as she folded her arms against her chest. “It would only be foolish if you continued to cling to that hope even now after knowing that Kahlan wants to work things out with Richard.”

“I know,” Tristan admitted, his shoulders sagging with resignation. “Somehow I think a part of me has always known that it was a futile dream, but I guess I just didn’t want to see it…or admit it.”

“It’s time to move on now, to find someone who is able to love you like you deserve,” Rachel told him.

A rueful smile tugged at Tristan’s lips as he studied the beautiful woman before him. “That’s pretty insightful and empathetic for a Mord’Sith,” he thoughtfully commented. “I was always under the impression that all Mord’Sith were cold and ruthless…heartless. You are much different than what I’d heard rumored.”

“I take it that’s a good thing?”

“Very good thing,” he nodded with a small smile.

It was Rachel’s turn to smile this time. “The Mord’Sith you described was the way that we were before Richard Rahl freed us.”

“How are you free?” he asked in confusion. “You’re still Mord’Sith in service to the Lord Rahl.”

“But it’s my choice now,” she explained with a brightening gleam in her eyes. “I’m not a slave to him. Lord Rahl treats us with true respect, considers us to be real women with a heart and a soul and a mind. We’re not just mindless minions who only live to serve and pleasure him. Richard Rahl gave us our lives back and in return we willingly serve him with great pride.”

“Pleasure him?” Tristan’s voice rose sharply, his anger suddenly spiking. “You pleasure Richard Rahl?”

“No, Darken Rahl,” she said, her gaze swiftly darkening at the memories that would forever haunt her of time spent in his bedchambers…time that had felt like an eternity.

Tristan could tell by the haunted look in her beautiful eyes that whatever Darken Rahl had done to her and her Sisters of the Agiel had not been anything remotely close to being considered romantic or pleasurable for the women he took to his bed. He felt a sudden sense of sympathy for her, wishing that she could know what true love was like, how wonderful it could be.

“I’m so sorry, Rachel,” he murmured, closing the distance between them as his hand found her arm in silent comfort. “I had no idea what you went through at the hands of Darken Rahl.”

“It’s over thanks to Richard,” she said as she lifted her chin, doing her best to banish the horrors, but the scars both physical and emotional could never be erased. “I’ll never have to go through anything like that ever again; will never be subjected to the perverted whims of a vile man.”

“You’re a very strong woman, Rachel,” Tristan told her, his respect and admiration growing exponentially by the moment. She was truly a remarkable woman if one took the time to actually talk to her. “Any man would be honored to have you in his life.”

“Thank you,” Rachel murmured, averting her eyes in embarrassment. She had shared too much of her heart with this man, but for some reason she hadn’t been able to stop. “We should keep moving. I’m sure we have a lot of ground to cover and precious little time to do it in.”

“You’re right,” Tristan nodded his head in agreement. “Thank you for helping me get my head on straight.”

“Any time,” she smiled softly as they began to make their way through the streets of Aydindril.

XXX

Nicci and Cara stood before the man that they had been able to catch in the marketplace earlier that day, his unconscious form bound by iron chains keeping him upright against the wall. His head was lolled to the side, his mouth hanging open as he dozed.

“So how long do we wait for him to wake up?” Garren asked from behind the two women, a fierce frown on his face as he studied the man chained before them.

“I think it’s time to encourage him a little, don’t you?” Nicci smiled deviously, Cara sharing her enthusiasm.

Nicci closed the distance between them, coming to a stop before him. Reaching out her hand, she touched his temple with her first two fingers, a tiny trickle of magic seeping into his brain and forcing him to back to awareness.

The large man groaned loudly, his head rolling to the side as he forced his eyes to open. He groggily lifted his head, his bleary gaze falling on the stunning blond-haired woman standing so nobly before him. A smile slowly crept across his face as he began to reach for her only to find himself being stopped short by the chains.

With an angry scowl he looked to his right and to his left, finding himself shackled to a dungeon wall. “What’s going on?” he growled in confusion. “Let me go!”

“You are the newest guest of the Lord Rahl’s dungeon,” Nicci smiled sweetly at him, unaffected by the beast of the man before her.

The man growled in anger, jerking hard on his chains in a futile attempt to break free only to find there was no way out. His broad face began to turn red with rage, his beady eyes growing darker as he struggled for freedom.

“Let me out of here!” he bellowed.

Nicci stood her ground, not the least bit afraid or intimidated by him. “You answer our questions and maybe we’ll let you go.”

“I have nothing to say,” the man sneered, sweat breaking out across his forehead and trickling down his neck as he continued to wrestle against his chains, fighting to escape.

“I’m sorry, but that’s not the answer that we’re looking for,” Nicci calmly told him, her glowering gaze so incongruent with the razor-sharp tone of her voice. “Why don’t we try again, shall we?”

Nicci suddenly reached out with her hands again, her fingertips coming to rest on either side of the man’s head. He tried to jerk away from her touch, but she kept him immobilized with her magic as she began to probe his mind for the information they were desperate to get their hands on.

Garren and Cara watched as the man attempted to squirm, but it was a lost cause. There was no escaping the former Sister of the Dark, Death’s Mistress. She was the most powerful sorceress to ever walk the earth, her power rivaled and surpassed only by Richard.

After several long moments, Nicci finally pulled back, releasing him from her hold on him. “You witch,” the man snarled with hatred. “I’m going to rip your heart out.”

“I don’t believe you will be doing anything of the sort, Stamen,” she said.

“How’d you know my name?” he spat out.

“I know a lot about you now,” she replied, folding her arms against her chest. “You, my friend, will be charged with treason against the House of Rahl as well as the D’Haran Empire.”

“They deserve to be punished for their crimes against the territories,” Stamen snapped, tugging against his chains once more.

“They have done nothing but bring peace to the land, uniting the territories into a powerful Empire,” Cara angrily shot back as she took a step closer, her hands falling to her agiels hanging at the ready at her hips. 

Garren closed the distance between him and his wife, wanting to make sure that she didn’t lose control again. While he shared her anger and frustration with the situation, they could not lose themselves in this, becoming like the people they were trying so hard to stop.

“Bring peace?” Stamen yelled, spittle now dripping down his chin. “They have done nothing, but create more chaos, destroying everyone’s lives with their lofty ideals.”

“How could you possibly think that?” Cara shouted as she came to stand beside Nicci. “They have sacrificed and fought, struggled to abolish wickedness in order to pave the way for peace and prosperity for everyone.”

“They’ve twisted your thinking, turned you against humanity,” Stamen sneered at her. “They have set themselves up as rulers over everyone, lulling everyone into a false sense of hope and tranquility all the while secretly trying to destroy us all.”

“Who is behind all of these revolts against Lord and Lady Rahl?” Garren finally interjected, his hand coming to rest on the small of Cara’s back in an effort to ground her and keep her calm.

“The great Kao C’Id,” Stamen grinned from ear to ear with great pride. “He will bring all of you into the light, eradicating the Rahls forever.”

“We will never allow that to happen,” Cara seethed. 

“The Seeker and Mother Confessor will die along with their children,” Stamen continued undeterred, a wicked glint in his eye. “The House of Rahl will end once and for all along with the line of Confessors leaving Kao C’Id to rule the new Alliance, showing everyone the way of the light.”

XXX

The gathering gray clouds overhead only seemed to add to Kahlan’s dark mood and simmering anger as her sapphire gaze swept over her surroundings in their desperate search for Kao C’Id. Her hands were clenched tightly at her sides, her attention oblivious to anything else at that moment except for finding the man who was at the very heart of all of this.

The image of Kao consumed her mind and soul, his wicked visage making her skin crawl with the things that he had forced her to relive in her dreams the last few nights. She would stop him at all cost; keep him from taking away everything that she held dear to her.

She would sacrifice her own life if it came down to it in order to keep her family and loved ones safe, in order to protect the city and the Empire that she and Richard had sworn to defend at all cost. These people had suffered before because of Darken Rahl and those in the House of Rahl that had come before him, but not anymore, not while there was still breath in her lungs. 

They would truly know peace once and for all, taking comfort in the knowledge they could finally live their lives without fear. They had come too far, fought too hard and long to just give up now.

Richard cast a sidelong glance at his wife, feeling the overwhelming tension rolling off of her in heated waves of righteous rage and frustration. He knew how she felt because he felt it too, knew the deep-seated need to keep their people and loved ones safe no matter the price.

Without a second thought, he suddenly reached out and took her hand, forcing her to uncurl her fingers stiff with anger as he pulled her to a stop. Kahlan gave him a confused look as he pulled her behind a building where he could have a brief moment of privacy with her. 

“Richard? What are you doing?” 

“Here,” he softly said as he gently reached behind her with both hands, taking hold of the hood of her burgundy travelling outfit and pulling it up before carefully tucking her raven locks inside. 

Her close proximity as well as her intoxicating scent was driving him crazy and yet he knew this was neither the time nor the place for them to work things out. As desperate as he was to make things right with her, anxious to get back to the place where they had been before this whole mess began, he knew that they would have to wait once again. 

“What are you doing?” she asked as she momentarily lost herself in chestnut brown eyes that she loved so much, wanting so badly to kiss him.

“Trying to make sure that Kao doesn’t recognize you,” he replied, his lips curling into a sudden smile of remembrance. “I don’t want him to target you.”

Noticing his unexpected change in expression, Kahlan tilted her head slightly in curiosity, her brow furrowing. “What is it?”

“Just remembering the last time I had to protect your identity by doing this,” he smiled softly.

“I don’t remember,” she frowned with a shake of her head. “When was that?”

“When you were torn in two,” he informed her. “We came back to Aydindril and found you addressing the crowd as the Mother Confessor. I pulled your hood up to help hide your identity, trying to buy us time so we could figure out what was going on.”

“From what you told me about that whole time, I think I’m glad that I don’t remember anything,” she replied with a shudder of dread, knowing what a tyrant she had become. She was sure that Richard hadn’t told her everything, keeping some details from her.

“Kahlan, it’s alright,” he reassured her. “It wasn’t you.”

“But that person is still here inside of me, Richard,” she confessed, her hand coming to rest against her chest. “When the emotional side was removed, she was who I really am.”

Richard stepped closer, taking hold of her upper arms as determination filled his face. “Your heart is so large; your love runs so deep. It’s what tempers the logic and detachment that is needed to help you rule and make the hard the decisions that must be made. You have the perfect balance of both, Kahlan; two equally powerful parts that make a wonderful whole person…an incredibly beautiful woman.”

“Richard…” Kahlan bashfully averted her gaze, suddenly feeling so self-conscious under his scrutinizing gaze.

“I’m serious, Kahlan,” he firmly replied, his hand coming to rest against the side of her face. “You have a beautiful heart and mind. It’s just one of a thousand things that I love so much about you.”

Kahlan’s eyelids lifted to meet his intense stare, her breath catching as his lips slowly began to inch closer to hers. Her heart was suddenly pounding in her ears as his mouth softly touched hers, his lips grazing over hers in a sweet expression of love and reverence.

Her eyes slowly fell closed as they kissed, secretly wanting so much more. She leaned in closer, anxious to deepen the kiss only to find him pulling away from her. Her eyes flew open in shock, finding him standing there staring at her with an indiscernible expression on his face, one that was a cross between longing and regret.

She quickly pulled back again, suddenly feeling awkward and embarrassed. He obviously regretted kissing her, not wanting anything more with her. She felt so confused and conflicted, unexpected anger and hurt. She thought he had wanted to work things out between them, wanted her back.

“Kahlan,” he gently said, his finger beneath her chin forcing her to look at him again. “I want you more than you know, but we have so much we need to talk about and unfortunately, you and I are going to have to wait once again until we find Kao C’Id.”

Kahlan swallowed back her heart, relief washing through her. She felt her cheeks grow warm, ashamed for doubting him and intentions. “You’re right,” she murmured.

Cradling her face in his hands, Richard kissed her chastely on the lips. “If I had my way, I would whisk you so far away from here, take you some place where we could be alone together for a while,” he admitted. “There are so many things that I need to tell you, that I need to explain to you that I should have told you from the start, but I can’t right now. Please, just know that I love you more than anything in this life. I always have and I always will.”

She slowly nodded her head, fighting back the sudden onslaught of conflicting emotions that abruptly rose up within her threatening to overwhelm her. “I love you too, Richard, but I can’t just go back to the way things were before I left for Aydindril. Too much has happened, too much heartache that I’m still struggling to deal with. I want to trust you with my heart again more than anything, but I don’t know if I can. You broke it, Richard. I never thought you would…but you did.”

“I understand,” he solemnly said, swallowing back the guilt and tears that welled in his throat. “I just want you to give me a chance, to not give up on us. That’s all I’m asking for right now. Will you please promise me that much for now?”

“I promise,” she told him with the special smile that belonged to no one but him.

“We’re going to find Kao C’Id and we will stop him before he can hurt our friends or family,” he reassured her. “I swear on my life I will not rest until we’ve dealt with him.”

Kahlan felt her resolve hardening once more, her heart stuttering as she stared into the eyes of the man that she loved. This was her Richard standing before her, the man that she had fallen so in love with and married, her husband and the father of her children.

She didn’t understand everything that had happened or what he’d been struggling with the last several weeks after Michael’s death and she didn’t know what had happened that had caused him to find his way back again, but she was more than relieved that he finally had.

She wanted to throw herself into his arms and never let go of him, to kiss him for the rest of her life, but she knew that their duty had to come first. There would be no life or future to look forward to together if Kao C’Id wasn’t stopped.

“Let’s get this over with,” she agreed as she moved past him to continue the search.

Richard immediately followed her back out into the street, feeling as though he was floating, his boots barely touching the ground. His heart hadn’t felt this light in so long, hope renewed and taking root deep in his soul now.

Kahlan had promised not to give up on him, on them. He just prayed that she would be able to forgive him once he told her everything.

Slipping back out into the street, Richard and Kahlan began to make their way to a seedy tavern on the other side of the city that Kahlan thought Kao C’Id or maybe some of his men might be hiding out in as the rain began to fall. 

Turning down a side street, a large man dressed in black withdrew from deep within the shadows that had concealed his presence as well. He paused to adjust his cloak, pulling his hood up over his head as he began to follow them from a distance.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 23

Cyrus Lang quickly began packing his belongings, knowing that he wasn’t going to be able to bring everything with him. It caused a knot to suddenly lodge in his throat, the thought of leaving the home that he had built and shared with his beloved wife for the last forty-five years almost too much to bear.

Unfortunately, he had no other choice at this point now. Things had spiraled so far behind his control, a shroud of death quickly settling over Aydindril like a dark cloud hovering over it and marking it has being cursed.

The worst part was the fact that he had helped bring this curse upon the very people that he had been trying to help. In his efforts to save Aydindril and the Midlands, he had inadvertently unleashed the very pit of the Underworld upon it.

There was nothing he could do about it now, no going back to set things right again, no stopping Kao C’Id. He was a cut-throat lunatic who was bent on destroying everything and everyone in his path to get he wanted.

Cyrus couldn’t stop the sudden shiver that rolled through him as he recalled the look of pure hatred that had filled Kao’s face when he had killed Trevor Bail. He had known in that horrifying moment that he had just stared at the living breathing embodiment of pure evil directly in the eye.

He paused packing some of his books, knowing he was going to have to pick and choose which ones to take, the sudden sound of approaching footsteps against the old wooden floor alerting him to the fact he wasn’t along. He looked up to see Randa coming into his library, Lysria in his arms.

“Are you going to be joining us for lunch, Cyrus?” Randa asked.

“No, nothing for me, thank you,” he shook his head.

Randa gave him a long curious look, sensing that something was going on. She set Lysria down, whispering in her ear to get washed up for lunch before turning her attention back to the elderly man before her.

“What’s going on, Cyrus?” she asked, concern filing her soft brown eyes. “You haven’t been yourself the last couple of weeks. I can tell that something is wrong, something greatly troubling you. Are you feeling well?”

Cyrus drew a weary breath, studying her for a long moment before finally making his way to her, coming to stand directly before her before taking her hands in his. “I have a favor that I need to ask of you,” he said as tears unexpectedly welled in his eyes, temporarily blurring his vision.

“Cyrus, what is it?” Randa asked, fear intensifying. “Please, whatever it is you know that I’ll try my very best to do it.”

Cyrus slowly nodded his head, clearing his throat before forcing himself to speak again. “Things may get very…dangerous…around here, Randa,” he began, pausing to search for the words that he needed to say. “I need to make sure that Lysria is properly taken care of. If anything should happen to me, I want you and Neal to raise her.”

“What are you talking about?” she shook her head in confusion. “What’s going to happen?”

“I’m afraid I can’t say more than I already have without putting you and your husband in danger as well,” Cyrus replied, composing himself once more. “I need you to promise me that if anything happens to me, you and Neal will take care of my Lysria…raise her. I know you both already love her as if she was yours, but I need you to swear to me.”

“I swear…I swear it,” she murmured as she grew more frantic. “You know we love Lysria as if she was ours, but I…”

“And Lysria loves you and Neil as if you were her parents,” he sadly said as if not hearing her response, finally releasing her hands now that he had her sworn promise.

Turning his back to her, he continued. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the coming days, but I can assure you it’s nothing good. If something happens to me, take Lysria and get as far away from Aydindril as you possibly can. Hopefully, one day you may be able to return.”

Stunned by the revelation, Randa took a step towards him, her bottom lip beginning to tremble with fear, her brown eyes wide with horror. “Why don’t you leave now if it’s that dangerous?”

“To tell you the truth, I was considering doing just that,” he softly admitted, guilt roiling within him as his eyes fell on the pile of books he’d been sorting through, “but I believe now that would be the coward’s way. I’ve changed my mind. I must stay in Aydindril and try to help deal with the storm that’s coming, one that I unfortunately helped to create.”

“You are a very good man, Cyrus,” Randa firmly stated. “I can’t believe that you would ever intentionally help to bring trouble to Aydindril and its people. You love this city more than anyone I have ever known.”

“I do love Aydindril and its people very much,” he sighed wearily, the heavy burden he carried on his shoulders evident in his voice. “Please know that whatever may be said about me in the coming days…that…that I was only doing what I thought was best for Aydindril and the Midlands at the time. Never doubt that.”

Cyrus finally turned to see tears trickling down the young woman’s face as she stared at him in bewilderment. It broke his heart knowing what he had helped condemn Aydindril to and probably the whole Empire as well.

“I…I just don’t…understand,” she murmured through her tears.

“I know and I’m very sorry for that…truly I am, but if I tell you anything more than that it’ll put you in great danger and I can’t…I won’t…do that to you and Neal. You’ve both been so good to me and my family after everything we’ve been through.”

“You’ve been forced to endure far more than your fair share of tragedy in your life, Cyrus,” she softly wept, sharing in his heartache. “I wish there was something I could to do help ease your pain.”

“Knowing that Lysria will be well taken care of helps me more than you can possibly know,” he told her.

“We will raise her as our own…as you would,” she promised him.

“Thank you, Randa,” he smiled sadly. “That means everything to me.”

“We’ll make sure that she remembers her grandfather and her real parents as well.”

Cyrus nodded his head quickly turning his back to her as the tears came in an unbidden flood, trailing down his weathered face. He could hear her retreating footsteps against the wooden floor, signaling the fact that he was alone once more.

He turned slowly, his gaze wandering around the room, his fingers trailing over the old wooden desk that his father had made for him as a little boy. Memory after memory began to wash over and through him, reminding him of the life that he had built with his dear wife.

Looking out the window, his tearful gaze fell on the headstone resting peacefully beneath the shade of a large tree. “I miss you so much,” he softly told his wife though he knew she couldn’t hear him. “I’m so very sorry I let you down. As much as I wish you were still here with him now, I’m so thankful that you’re not here to see the horrifying destruction that’s about to befall Aydindril.”

Turning from the window, he moved to sit down in his chair at his desk, his eyes falling closed as he murmured more to himself than his deceased wife. “Hopefully, there’s still something I can do to stop it and redeem myself before this is all over.”

XXX

“I don’t like this,” Cara scowled as she furiously paced back and forth with a sneer on her face that could make a hardened criminal recoil in fear.

“None of us do, Cara, but what choice do we really have now?” Garren replied.

“There has to be something we can do to help them or warn them about this Kao C’Id,” she fumed.

“I have a bad feeling they already know about him,” Holland frowned.

“I do too,” Garren snorted in agreement. “I think that the trouble Tristan had feared was brewing in Aydindril was actually this Kao. He’s trying to disrupt the whole territory, discredit Richard and Kahlan so he can take over.”

“Well, it’s not going to work,” Nicci spoke up. “We won’t let him.”

“But what can we do with Richard and Kahlan in Aydindril and we’re stuck here at the People’s Palace?” Cara demanded to know. “I’ve never felt so completely helpless in my entire life. They could be fighting for their very survival right now and there’s nothing we can do to help them or stop it.”

“Richard and Kahlan are both gifted and powerful in their own right,” Nicci reminded her. “I wouldn’t count them out just yet. Besides, Zedd and Mistress Rachel are with them as well, not to mention some of the soldiers of the First File and a dozen Mord’Sith handpicked by you.”

“But we don’t know who or what this Kao C’Id is or what he’s truly up to,” Cara practically yelled, turning to glare at the three other people in the room with her. “Besides, you know how much trouble Richard and Kahlan can get themselves into. It seems to follow them everywhere they go. They’re a magnet for it.”

“What do you suggest we do?” Holland shook his head. “We can’t just abandon the People’s Palace to go to Aydindril. We have to protect the city no matter what. Richard is counting on us right now to do that.”

Cara suddenly paused her pacing, a crestfallen expression filling her face. “I…I don’t know,” she released a ragged breath. “There’s just got to be something that we can do. Can’t we try sending a message in the Journey book now? I know that Richard said not to, but he didn’t know this was going to happen.”

“I still think it’s far too dangerous,” Garren grimly replied. “I’m worried that we’ll only cause them to be in more trouble than they’re already in.”

“Unless we can send a message that only Richard or Kahlan will understand,” Nicci suggested.

“Like what?” Holland frowned.

“Let me think about it,” Nicci thoughtfully told them. “There has to be a way to tell them there’s trouble coming without revealing too much.”

“I still don’t like it,” Garren insisted. “I’ll never forgive myself if we end up putting them at greater risk.”

“None of us will be able to, but we have to do something to warn them,” Cara huffed, resuming her pacing.

“Cara, you’re going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep that up,” Holland teased her in an effort to lighten the mood, his eyes dancing with amusement.

“If you have a better idea of what we can do to help Richard and Kahlan, then let’s hear it,” Cara shot back. “Until then, I’m going to keep pacing.”

Garren smirked at his wife, shaking his head in disbelief. He was going to have to find a way to help his wife relax a little, to get her mind off of the trouble brewing around them before she worked herself into a nervous breakdown.

“Cara, it’ll be alright,” Garren reassured her, the deep commanding tone of his voice causing her to stop in her tracks again, her green eyes suddenly meeting his. “We’ll get through this together just like we’ve gotten through all the other disasters that always seem to find us.”

In that moment…in that look, so much was conveyed between husband and wife, emotions shared, comfort and reassurances given and received. He watched as her shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly, her brow unfurrowing slightly.

Cara slowly nodded her head, knowing that he was right, but at the same time dying inside for not being able to be there to protect Richard, Kahlan, and their children. She’d been there for them for so long that not being able to be there in the middle of the biggest fight of their lives was almost next to unbearable.

She just prayed that they’d be able to see them alive and well soon. She didn’t want their next reunion to be in the Underworld.

XXX

“What’s different about this tavern?” Richard asked, his raptor gaze immediately darkening as they approached.

Several less than reputable looking men sat in chairs out in front of the inn, looking as though they’d had a rough night and an even rougher morning by deciding to drink their breakfast instead of eating a real one.

Their blear-eyed gazes didn’t show any sign of recognition as they watched the Lord and Lady Rahl approach, the famous Seeker and Mother Confessor. Being dressed in their travelling clothes helped to conceal their identities somewhat, allowing them to move about the city a little easier.

“A lot of underhanded dealings go on here,” Kahlan replied. “In the past, we’ve tried to catch them in the act, but they’ve always somehow managed to get away. We’ve never been able to get any solid evidence to actually shut it down.”

“How have they managed to get away without getting caught?” Richard asked.

“Edmund swears the tavern keeper possesses some sort of magical ability,” Kahlan said under her breath as Richard opened the door, allowing her to enter first.

“But you don’t agree?”

“I think he hired someone with magic to spell the place to cloak illegal transactions,” she admitted as she and Richard came to a stop just inside the tavern. “I either way, this is the most likely place that Kao would come if he was looking to recruit help for his fight to take us down or to hide out.”

“That’s not going to happen, Kahlan,” he softly said, reaching for her hand and squeezing it before releasing it less than a heartbeat later.

The brief contact had been much too short for either of their liking, but it couldn’t be helped at the moment. They had a tyrant to stop before he got his hands on their children or anyone else’s children for that matter.

Looking around at the large number of patrons staring at them, Richard and Kahlan could feel the tension rapidly ratcheting up. It felt like they were being filleted by the dark murderous glowers that were being directed at them. The stench of alcohol and dirt and sweat was beyond nauseating, making Kahlan want to gag.

Richard’s hand instinctively fell to the hilt of his sword, more than prepared to do whatever was necessary to get the answers they needed in order to keep Kahlan and his children safe from this sick sadistic bastard.

“Do you see him anywhere?” Richard whispered, his gaze watching for signs of trouble, his every muscle drawn tight.

“No, not yet,” she murmured.

There was not one person in the entire tavern whose attention was not on the couple who had just entered, many of them silently reaching for the handle of their preferred trusted weapon of choice for situations such as these. The two strangers obviously didn’t belong here and yet were still unknown to them.

Kahlan felt her heart begin to hammer in anticipation of the fight that was no doubt about to break out. She could feel it deep in her bones that she and Richard weren’t going to be walking out of this without bloodshed.

Despite having her hood pulled up, she could tell that many were still unable to recognize who she was. This was definitely not the sort of place the Mother Confessor would frequent nor would the Lord Rahl of D’Hara. However, Richard’s magnificent sword hanging at his hips was a dead give-away to anyone who was familiar with the Seeker or the Sword of Truth.

She couldn’t help but feel filthy from the leering gazes directed at her; the obvious way these men were practically undressing her with their eyes. One man slowly walked past her, pausing next to her to run his tongue over his lips in a lewd way like she was nothing more than a meal to be devoured.

She didn’t back down in the least, delivering a scathing sneer that unfortunately only caused the man to grin in even more appreciation at her, his eyes drifting to her breasts. She could feel Richard fighting the urge to beat the man senseless for looking at her that way, but she was hoping to prolong a confrontation for as long as possible.

She was more than relieved when the man finally moved on, leaving her alone with Richard again. She continued to scan the crowded tavern, her heart in her throat now. She swore she could feel Kao’s eyes on her even now, trailing like icy fingers over her skin and creating waves of gooseflesh in its wake and yet she didn’t see him.

“I don’t see Kao yet, but that doesn’t mean that he or his men aren’t here,” she murmured. “I feel like he’s here…watching me.”

Richard cast a sidelong glance at his wife, noticing the way that she suddenly grew pale. It was so strange to see Kahlan this frightened that she was almost trembling. She’d never shown fear in the face of evil in all the years that he’d known her, not even when they had been battling the Keeper himself.

It unnerved him to see her so frightened like this, making him wonder what exactly Kao had done to her in her dreams. She had left out a great deal of the details, but it had been more than obvious that what he had subjected to her had terrified her to the core of her being.

He took a step closer to her, placing a gentle hand on her arm. “Let’s go to the bar and see if we can find out anything,” he softly suggested.

As if in a daze, Kahlan slowly turned to look at him, the horror of what she’d been experiencing in her dreams reflected there in her beautiful blue orbs. He resisted the overwhelming urge to pull her into his arms and banish her every fear, make her feel his unconditional love for her.

She nodded her head in agreement, making her way to the bar with Richard following closely behind her, watching her back like he also had…always would. Nothing or no one could ever change that as long as there was breath in his body.

Approaching the bar, the rotund tavern keeper stared down Richard and Kahlan as he dried a glass with his dirty apron that was anything but white. He smiled at Kahlan, revealing several missing teeth. The ones that he did have were a shade of gray that Kahlan was certain she’d never seen before.

“Can I get ya something to drink?” the man’s question came gruffly.

“No, nothing,” Kahlan quickly shook her head. “We’re here for information.”

She watched the man visibly stiffen. “What kind of information?” he asked as he surreptitiously began to reach under the bar for his dagger. “Ya know people who usually come here ain’t that big on talkin’.”

His dark beady eyes swiftly shifted from Kahlan to Richard and back again, sweat beginning to form on his brow. He quickly rubbed his forehead with his dirty apron, his one hand secretly clutching a dagger that still had the blood of the last man he’d killed dried on it.

“We might be able to make it worth your time if you can tell us anything about a man who has recently arrived in Aydindril,” Richard said, leaning his forearms on the bar.

The tavern keeper stared at Richard before his shifty eyes stole a glance at Kahlan to see if they were for real. “Who are ya lookin’ for?” he asked before turning his head to spit on the floor.

“Kao C’Id,” Richard evenly stated.

Kahlan studied the stout man, watching for any signs that he was about to lie to them. Her fingers rapped impatiently on the wooden bar, almost desperate to confess the man and force him to come clean with everything he knew. They didn’t have time for deception. They had to find Kao C’Id before he took over Aydindril or got his hands on her children.

The tavern keeper stiffened with the sound of Kao’s name, the vein in the side of his neck visibly pulsating as his face reddened. “Don’t know the name,” he spat out. “It’s best ya leave now.”

“Something tells me that you do know Kao C’Id,” Kahlan stated, leaning closer. “I suggest you start talking now or I’ll be forced to…”

“What is a stunning woman like you doing in a filthy place like this?”

Kahlan and Richard both turned to find a large man standing behind them, his enormous muscular arms folded against his equally muscular chest, his attention on Kahlan. The man was bald, his black eyes burrowing straight through her and sending an icy shiver up her spine.

Behind him were at least a dozen more men with swords drawn and ready for a fight. Richard immediately drew his sword, his jaw clenching with the rage that inundated him from the magical weapon in his hand, mingling with his own fury that simmered in his core over the threat to his family.

Kahlan immediately pulled her hood back much to Richard’s dismay, her long raven locks tumbling freely down her back. The length was a dead give-away who she was and the incredible power that she possessed. Within a heartbeat, she had her daggers drawn, prepared for a fight.

“Mother Confessor,” the large man in front drawled her name, a wide leering grin spreading across his face. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. So that must mean that you are the Seeker of Truth and Lord Rahl of D’Hara.”

Richard drew his sword in response, the sound of the weapon’s release filling the air. “And you would be Kao C’Id?” he sneered, her dark brown eyes flashing with the fury that coursed through him, the need to protect Kahlan at all cost.

A loud pitiless rumble of laughter spilled from the man’s lips as Kahlan shook her head. “No, it’s not him, Richard,” she frowned as she stared at the man before them. “It’s not Kao.”

“You’ll be meeting him soon enough,” the strange man before them revealed as he drew his sword.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 24

Zedd sat at a table beside Frederick, his attention on his twin granddaughters playing on the floor with Katrina and Aggie, but his thoughts were far away from this suite. His heart felt weary and so heavy for everything that his family had endured thus far, for the horrifying things that were still yet to come for his loved ones.

He looked down at the spice soup before him, his third bowlful. He couldn’t help but be reminded of all the times they had eaten spice soup during his travels with Richard and Kahlan and then later with Cara as they fought to stop Darken Rahl and then the Keeper.

Despite the heaviness of the situations that had been at hand, the constant threat of evil and danger around every corner, they had been some of the best times of his life traversing the territories with his grandson and Confessor…the Mord’Sith.

They had made him feel young again, feel like he could be a part of something bigger. Now, he didn’t know what to think as he sat in this suite with his grandchildren, doing his best to keep them safe no matter what.

“I don’t like this, Zedd,” Frederick finally murmured interrupting his companion’s thoughts, keeping his voice low so as not to worry the others. “We need to be out there helping them, not hiding away in here.”

“I know, but you have to remember that we are helping them by keeping their children safe,” Zedd reminded him. “They couldn’t do what they needed to do in order to stop this maniac if they were constantly worrying about their children.”

“At least I guess we can help in that way, but I can’t help but want to do even more,” Frederick softly admitted as he rose to his feet and began pacing. “I wish I knew what was happening right now…how they were doing.”

“Me too, but I’m afraid we won’t know anything until this all over and Aydindril is safe once again,” Zedd sighed heavily.

“And what if they aren’t able to stop Kao? What then?” Frederick pressed, pausing to lean on the back of his empty chair.

“Then, we have to flee Aydindril and escape to the People’s Palace,” Zedd replied, smiling to himself despite the dread swelling inside as Paige made a face that reminded him so much of Richard.

“I can’t imagine losing Kahlan now that I finally have a real relationship with my daughter,” Frederick said, his chin falling to his chest with a sense of defeat. “I failed her for so very long that I can’t bear the thought of failing her now when she truly needs me.”

“I know it’s difficult, Frederick, but Richard and Kahlan are strong, gifted beyond imagining,” Zedd pointed out. “I have seen them find their way through more difficulties, more unimaginable hardships then I thought possible. Every time I thought they couldn’t possibly survive, they always managed to find a way. I wouldn’t count them out just yet.”

Frederick slowly nodded his head. “I’m just grateful that Richard finally got his head on straight and came after Kahlan. She needs him now more than ever.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Zedd snorted in response. “I thought I was going to have to hogtie that boy and drag him here. Cara threatened to kick his tail clear to Aydindril if he didn’t come to his senses soon.”

Frederick chuckled with the Old Wizard’s response, the lines around his eyes crinkling with amusement. “Yes, now that I could picture happening.”

Zedd laughed with him, also amused by the picture that suddenly popped into his head of Cara and Richard. “Fortunately, Richard realized the error of his ways before it was too late,” he informed him. “He had allowed his emotions to take control, blinding him to the truth of what was around him, clouding his feelings and judgment. 

“I know it’s no excuse, but for the Seeker who wields the Sword of Truth, handling the fury and complexity of emotions within is a constant struggle that some of those named Seeker of Truth never truly master.”

“What happened to them?

Memories of the former Seeker Samuel suddenly filled his mind, reminding him of what could happen if his grandson didn’t learn to control his emotions. “If Richard allows the magic infused in the Sword to corrupt him, he will no longer be a symbol of truth and justice. He’ll become the direct opposite…in every way imaginable.”

“What can we do to keep that from happening to him?” Frederick frowned, a sense of foreboding washing over him.

“We have to help him stay focused, make sure he doesn’t lose himself to the sword’s influence,” Zedd sighed. “He was able to pull himself out of it this time thanks to his family and friends. Hopefully, he’ll see now the dangers of allowing himself to become swallowed up by his emotions.”

“I’m sure it didn’t help to have so many obstacles arise at one time like that,” Frederick sympathetically shook his head.

“No, it didn’t,” Zedd agreed. “It was one catastrophe after another. It sent him into a tailspin. Kahlan leaving for Aydindril with Tristan was the worst blow that very nearly pushed him over the edge.”

“Kahlan is fond of Tristan, but she’s not in love with him…not the way that he is in love with her.”

“I have gathered that,” Frederick smiled softly. “I could see it in the way that Tristan looked at Kahlan, the way that Kahlan looks at Richard. It’s obvious where her heart still lies.”

“Hopefully, they will get the chance to work everything out,” Frederick said.

“I hope so too,” Zedd thoughtfully replied.

Frederick’s face grew very serious again, his eyes filling with anguish. “I just pray that we don’t have to tell their children someday what heroic people their parents truly were.”

“I know,” Zedd sadly said. “Richard and Kahlan need to be around to raise their beautiful children, to be able to watch them grow up.”

“Let’s just hope they’ll be around to do that,” Frederick murmured, his eyes falling on his grandchildren once more.

He couldn’t imagine his grandchildren being forced to grow up without either of their parents. The twins were too young to truly remember them if they lost them now, Aiden just an infant. They deserved a life with both Richard and Kahlan, to know their parents.

He just prayed that they would have that opportunity.

XXX 

Tristan and Rachel stole silently through the marketplace, doing their best to remain as inconspicuous as possible, but it was difficult with Rachel’s red leather. She stuck out among the plainly dressed citizens of Aydindril, her agiel as well as her long single braid also indicators of her status as a protector of the Lord and Lady Rahl.

Tristan huffed under his breath, his gaze frequently going to the beautiful Mord’Sith walking beside him, her perfect curves. “We need to buy you a cloak or something for you to wear.”

“Why?” Rachel smirked at him. “Am I distracting you from the search for Kao?”

Tristan’s cheeks suddenly flushed with her teasing remark, forcing him to avert his gaze from her. “No, but it’s drawing too much attention to us,” he told her. “Everyone knows who you are.”

“And that’s bad?” she quirked an eyebrow at him.

“It can be if Kao C’Id spots you before we find him,” Tristan frowned.

“I’m not ashamed of what I am,” Rachel maintained, her chin held high. “I am proud to be the protector of the Lord and Lady Rahl.”

“I never said you should be ashamed of who you are,” Tristan shook his head, his brow furrowed in annoyance. “I only think it would be more beneficial for you to conceal your identity while we search for Kao.”

This conversation wasn’t going well at all. They had been searching for what felt like an eternity and had yet to find any sign of Kao C’Id or trouble brewing in Aydindril. They needed to stop this now before that army arrived here tomorrow afternoon.

“The only thing I am ashamed of is not fighting back when Darken Rahl repeatedly raped and brutalized me,” Rachel admitted. It was her turn to avert her eyes when Tristan’s head snapped back to look at her. “I will not go through that again.” 

“Rachel…I’m so…”

“No…stop. I don’t want your pity,” she held up a firm hand, a scowl on her lips. “It’s in the past and that’s where it will remain. No man will ever treat me like I’m worthless ever again. No one.”

Tristan drew a deep breath before responding, trying to find the right words that he wanted to say. “You are a remarkable woman, Rachel,” he softly said, amazed by her strength. “You’ve endured more torture, lived through more nightmares than anyone I’ve ever met. You should be proud of what you’ve been able to overcome, what you’ve made of your life.”

Rachel slowly nodded her head, biting the inside of her cheek to keep the tears at bay. She was not weak and would not show weakness especially in front of this man. “Thank you, but the gratitude really needs to go to Richard Rahl,” she replied. “He saved me and my Sisters of the Agiel.”

“Richard has done a great deal of good for the people of the D’Haran Empire,” he admitted, knowing deep down that Richard Rahl was not an evil man no matter how much he had wanted Kahlan for himself. “He’s helped a lot of people first as the Seeker of Truth and now as the Lord Rahl.”

“Why do we always end up talking about me?” she asked. “Why don’t we ever talk about you?”

Tristan chuckled softly with her question. “After we’ve stopped Kao C’Id, I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” he told her. “Right now, we have to find Kao and save Aydindril.”

“When I get my hands on Kao C’Id, there might not be very much of him left for Lord Rahl to judge.”

“I wonder how Richard and Kahlan are fairing,” Tristan muttered as he paused to look inside a store window, hoping to find some sort of sign that they were on the right track.

“Hopefully better than we are,” Rachel scowled.

“I just hope they haven’t run into any trouble they can’t handle,” he admitted.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel saw something that made her stop, pulling Tristan to a stop beside her as well. They both turned to see three large men dressed in black cloaks walking through the marketplace. They didn’t look like anyone they’d ever seen before in the Midlands or D’Hara, more than obvious that they weren’t from around here.

“Kao’s men?” Tristan whispered as he pulled Rachel into the shadows of the store they had just passed.

“That would be my guess,” Rachel replied, her lips pursed into a grim line. “They’re definitely not from around here.”

All three were large, well-built men with long sleek black hair that hung down their backs. They walked with great confidence, their strides full of purpose and determination. They most definitely had a destination in mind and were more than resolved to get there.

“We better follow them,” Tristan suggested. “They could lead us straight to Kao C’Id.”

“Do you really think we could get that lucky?” Rachel huffed as they began to make their way back the direction they had just come, keeping to the shadows to avoid being spotted.

“We can only hope,” Tristan muttered as he kept his focus on the three men.

They followed closely behind them, watching their every move as they made their way through Aydindril. It suddenly dawned on Tristan exactly where they were heading. It was finally beginning, here and now.

Rachel could tell that something was wrong, the way that Tristan grew tenser with every step they took, his hand falling to his sword. “What’s wrong?” she murmured. “What did you see?”

“I know where they’re going,” he muttered.

“Where?”

“They’re heading straight for the Confessor’s Palace,” he hissed. “It’s beginning.”

XXX

Kahlan tightened her grip on her daggers as she stared down the enormous man with the wicked grin plastered on his lips. She had never seen this man before in her nightmares, only Kao C’Id, and yet she somehow knew…felt it in her bones…that he was no less of a monster than Kao himself.

“You won’t win,” Richard sneered as he slowly began to shift away from Kahlan, trying to draw the man’s attention away from his wife. “No matter what you and Kao are planning, I will stop you.”

Theon laughed again with the Seeker’s words, his gaze shifting from Richard back to Kahlan. “I wouldn’t be so bold in your predictions, Lord Rahl. You have no idea what’s about to hit your family let alone Aydindril and your precious D’Haran Empire,” Theon chuckled, his voice growing hard. 

“I will kill you before you lay a hand on my family,” Richard snarled at him, taking a step closer to him.

Theon’s grin somehow managed to grow even broader. “Take them! Kao wants them both alive.”

Having been given the order, Theon’s men attacked with a vengeance, half going for the Seeker while the other half went for the Mother Confessor. Theon kept his sword clutched tightly in his hand, but he hung back, prepared to join the fray only if it became necessary. He had his sights set on what he wanted.

Kahlan thrust with her daggers, grounding her teeth as she went on the defensive against the onslaught that was determined to take them out. She had hoped to get out of this with as little trouble as possible, but that wasn’t going to happen now. They were greatly outnumbered with no help in sight.

They were in for the fight of their lives again in more ways than just this one now. 

She sliced with her daggers, slashing throats and surprising her attackers with her fierce skills. They had obviously never heard the many rumors about the Mother Confessor’s ability to fight or to hold her own against even the most hardened soldiers. She was not just some damsel in distress; she was a warrior, skilled and trained by the best.

She suddenly felt an arm circling her waist and lifting her up off of her feet. She struggled and fought back, throwing an elbow and connecting with the man’s nose. He quickly dropped her, covering his face with his hand in an attempt to stop the flow of blood running down his chin.

Kahlan swiftly finished him off, crossing her daggers in front of her and slashing in a downward motion. She abruptly spun on her heel, feeling an attack coming up from behind her only to have everything suddenly go black.

Richard lunged, throwing himself into the attack with a fierce vengeance, wielding his sword with the wisdom and skill of every Seeker who had come before him. He swiftly blocked the swing of a sword aimed right at his head before ducking and turning to miss another blade’s thrust into his side.

He cast a quick glance to check on Kahlan only to find her taking on the other half of the men with her usual skill and grace. He also noticed how the bald headed stranger had stayed back to watch, his attention solely on Kahlan.

Richard’s fury began to pound even harder through his veins as his blade came in contact with one foe after another, the blood being spilt coating his sword and making his own blood sing with the righteous vengeance that was being poured out upon Kao C’Id’s men.

He grunted as he kicked one man in the chest, shoving him away and causing him to land on a table, breaking it as he crashed to the ground. The Seeker swiftly turned, sweeping the legs out from under another attacker. For every man that he managed to take out, two more seemed to abruptly take his place, ready to take him down.

Richard swung his sword with a deep growl, trying to catch another glimpse of Kahlan, but he couldn’t see her with the hordes of men attacking them from every side. He sneered in frustration, cursing to himself as they tried to back him into a corner.

He nearly stumbled over a fallen chair in his path, the swing of a sword coming dangerously close to removing his arm. He leapt up onto the top of a nearby table, giving him the advantage and a better point of view, but he still couldn’t find Kahlan in the midst of the melee that had erupted inside the dingy tavern.

There wasn’t one person who had not become involved in the fight, the entire tavern vying for a chance to take on the Seeker of Truth and Mother Confessor. He cut down another man who was attempting to pull him down from the table, growing more than anxious to find his wife.

He needed to get to Kahlan, to make sure that she was alright and get her out of here, but he couldn’t find her. He jumped off of the table, swinging his sword and taking out a couple more men as he landed on the floor. He quickly began to work his way to the spot that he’d last seen Kahlan before this fight had begun, a growing desperation inside to get to her.

The problem was he was greatly outnumbered with no end to this battle in sight.

Sweat trickled down Richard’s neck and back, his heart pounding with the exertion of the fight and the inexplicable need to get to Kahlan at all cost. He didn’t know how he knew that she was in trouble, only that she was and he had to get to her no matter what it took.

Richard thrust with his sword, his blade imbedding deep in a man’s chest, his eyes going wide in shock. He kicked the body off of his weapon before turning to the next one only to bring his sword up a split second before losing his head. He gritted his teeth as he pushed back against the man’s sword, blades clashing as each fought for the upper hand.

The tip of a sword suddenly protruded from his attacker’s chest, taking them both by surprise. As the blade was extracted, the man’s lifeless body slumped to the ground to reveal a large man in a black cloak standing behind him. 

Richard raised his sword prepared for another attack, watching in stunned disbelief as the man pulled back the hood of his cloak to reveal himself. “Chase?” Richard exclaimed in disbelief, relieved and beyond thrilled to see his friend from Westland. “What are you doing here?”

“Fight now…talk later,” Chase grinned broadly before turning his sword to the remainder of Theon’s men.

Within minutes, Chase and Richard had finished off the last of the men, leaving no one standing. Breathing heavily, they looked around at the countless bodies lying lifelessly on the ground. Richard quickly began searching the tavern for Kahlan.

“Kahlan!” Richard yelled, looking frantically for her. “Kahlan!”

“Richard, she’s not here,” Chase grimly informed him as he sheathed his sword, his hand finding Richard’s shoulder and squeezing it affectionately. “I saw some large bald man carrying her out the back of the tavern as I was coming in. I’m sorry, Richard, but I couldn’t get to her, not with all the fighting going on around you blocking the way.”

Spotting something familiar on the floor, Richard made his way over to it, bending down and picking up her forgotten daggers. “Damn it!” Richard furiously swore. “I should have stayed closer to her. Now, Kao has her and I have no idea where he took her.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 25

Cyrus Lang made his way towards the Confessor’s Palace with determination in every step he took as he sought out his friend, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. There were several soldiers standing guard at the main entrance of the Palace, hands on their swords and obviously more than prepared for a fight.

If they only knew the terrifying nightmare that was about to descend on them, they would flee for their lives instead of trying to protect that which was about to be destroyed.

Approaching, he nodded his head to the guards as he entered the Palace, an intended destination set firmly in his mind. He didn’t have to look for long before he was met by Edmund marching straight for him followed closely by a handful of soldiers.

“Edmund, I need to talk to you in private right away,” Cyrus stated.

“How dare you come here after what you’ve done!” Edmund sneered as he drew a dagger hidden in his boot. “Guards! Take him!”

“Wait, Edmund! Please let me explain!” Cyrus held up his hands, stunned by the hostile greeting he’d just received. “Don’t do this! I came to help!”

“I trusted you, Cyrus, and you betrayed all of us…betrayed Aydindril,” Edmund fumed, his eyes burning with anger as the guards moved to surround him, their swords pointed directly at him. “How could you do something like this? We all trusted you!”

“If you would please call off your men, I’d be more than happy to explain everything,” Cyrus insisted, his hands still held up in defense. “Listen to me, Edmund. I’m here to help you stop this.”

“I think you’ve done more than enough,” Edmund spat out.

“We don’t have time for this,” Cyrus yelled, his hands falling into clenched fists at his side. “Kao C’Id could be planning to take over Aydindril at any moment now. You won’t be able to stop him.”

Edmund finally raised his hand, waving off the guards. “Follow me,” he finally stated, turning and leading him into a private room where they could talk.

“Thank you, Edmund,” Cyrus released a sigh of relief.

“Wait out here,” Edmund ordered the guards before closing the door behind him. “Ok, you better start explaining yourself, Cyrus, because you a heartbeat away from being thrown into the dungeon and sentenced for treason. You know that carries a death sentence.”

“I know I deserve that,” Cyrus replied, his shoulders sagging in obvious defeat. “I am partly to blame for the trouble that’s about to hit Aydindril. There are several of us who want things to go back to the way that it used to be before Richard Rahl formed the D’Haran Empire, those of us who want Aydindril to be the crown jewel of the Midlands once more.

“Together, we sought out a way to do that, meeting secretly and forming plans in order to do just that. Trevor Bail told us about Kao C’Id and his Alliance from the Old World. We thought that he could help us stop Richard and Kahlan, allow us to have Aydindril and the Midlands again.”

“Cyrus, I…I can’t believe that you could do something like this,” Edmund shook his head in bewilderment, utterly stunned by what he was hearing, ashamed that he had called this man his friend for so long. “I know things were very difficult for you after your daughter died and then the loss of your wife, but…but this…”

“You just don’t understand, Edmund,” Cyrus ground out, turning his back to his friend to stare out a nearby window. “My whole world collapsed when I lost Elyria and then her husband. I was angry and I blamed Darken Rahl for it. It was his men who had defiled and murdered my precious daughter, taking her away from me. The House of Rahl had to pay for it one way or another. 

“And then, Richard Rahl began changing everything, taking our Mother Confessor away to the People’s Palace, forming this…this damn Empire of his. I…I just couldn’t stand by and let it all happen. They had to be stopped.”

“And you thought that Kao C’Id was the answer?” Edmund nearly shouted in disbelief.

“I’m afraid so,” Cyrus softly answered, clasping his hands behind his back. “I was wrong, Edmund. I see that now. Kao C’Id is nothing but a cold sadistic monster who wants to destroy Aydindril and take over the Empire. He was never coming to help us take back control of Aydindril for ourselves. He’s coming to rain down unholy terror on us all.”

Edmund studied his lifelong friend, noticing the pure fear that haunted his eyes. “What happened, Cyrus?” he asked, his voice suddenly a little gentler than before. “What did you witness?”

Tears suddenly welled in the broken man’s eyes as he relived that horrifying moment all over again in his mind. He opened his mouth to speak before abruptly closing it in an effort to regain some measure of self control before proceeding once more.

“Kao had Trevor send out men to stop Lord Rahl from reaching Aydindril,” he finally replied, his gaze growing distant as if he was being sucked back in time to that very moment. “Trevor was on his knees begging Kao’s forgiveness for not being able to stop Lord Rahl’s arrival. Kao accepted his apology by drawing his sword and removing Trevor’s head right before my very eyes.”

Edmund visibly blanched when he heard what had happened to Trevor. “I wondered where Trevor had been these last couple of days,” he absentmindedly muttered. “I thought the snake had slithered under a rock to hide or fled Aydindril to save his own hide.”

“It would’ve been better for him if he had,” Cyrus ruefully admitted. “I think that even Trevor didn’t fully comprehend the death sentence that we’d helped condemn Aydindril to.”

“What changed your mind, Cyrus?” Edmund demanded to know as he folded his arms against his chest. “Is your head on the chopping block now as well with Kao?”

“It might be, but that’s not the reason I’m here, Edmund,” Cyrus sighed heavily, his anger and frustration with the dire situation returning with a vengeance. “Richard and Kahlan need to get out of here right away. I was going to escape in the middle of the night with Lysria, but I…I just couldn’t do it. I helped to condemn Aydindril to this impossibly bleak future and I’m going to be the one to help stop it.”

Edmund’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What are you thinking about doing, Cyrus?”

The man squared his shoulders, his chin raised in defiance. “There’s another secret meeting that is supposed to take place tonight, one to make final preparations,” he informed him. “I’m going to kill Kao and hopefully stop this.”

“Cyrus, that’s completely insane!” Edmund cried, a scowl gracing his weathered face. “You’ll never succeed.”

“I have to try,” the man shook his head in rigid determination. “I helped created this mess. I have to do something to try to stop it before we lose everything.”

“You yourself said that Kao C’Id was a sadistic mountain of a man,” he shot back. “How in the name of the Creator do you plan to up against an experienced warrior like that? From the way Kahlan described him and from what you’ve said about him, there’s no way you’re going to be able to get close to him let alone try to kill him.”

“Edmund, I have to do this,” Cyrus maintained. “I have to atone for what I’ve done. I thought I was doing what was right, what was best for Aydindril, but I was so very wrong. Now, all I can do is try to set things right again before it’s too late.”

Edmund folded his arms against his chest, a deep sneer on his lips. “I’m glad that you’ve seen the error of your ways, but this…this is suicide.”

“We’re all going to die anyway if we don’t do something to stop Kao C’Id so there’s not much of a difference except for the fact that at least I’ll die trying to do the right thing,” Cyrus insisted.

“Richard and Kahlan are trying to find him now, trying to capture him before his army can arrive tomorrow afternoon.”

“His army is coming here?” Cyrus exclaimed.

“They were spotted coming from the north. They’ll be here by tomorrow afternoon.”

Cyrus grew very pale with the new information; his shoulders slumping as his resolve suddenly disappeared. “I’m too late then,” he softly said, swallowing hard.

“We can still do something,” Edmund reassured him. “We will find a way to stop this and…”

The sudden unexpected sound of chaos outside interrupted them, both looking at each other in dreadful apprehension. Both ran for the door, exiting the room to find people screaming and running frantically in every direction, the sound of the doors literally being torn off their hinges echoing through the Palace.

“He’s here,” gasped Cyrus.

“Creator help us all,” Edmund murmured under his breath, his eyes wide with horror.

XXX

Richard’s heart thundered in his chest, his throat constricting painfully with no sign of Kahlan anywhere, his mind racing with more questions than he had answers for. He turned in tight circles trying to find someone, anyone who could tell him what had happened to his wife. Unfortunately, everyone was dead.

Finally spotting the tavern keeper huddled in a corner, he marched straight for him, hauling the stout man to his feet by the front of his shirt with just one hand, the other still clutching his sword in a death grip. 

“Where did they take her?” he snarled with lethal venom as he slammed the man hard against the wall, his rage giving him incredible strength.

“I…I don’t…I don’t…know,” the man stammered, his eyes wide with terror.

“Where is my wife?” Richard shouted with a deadly rage that resounded through the tavern.

His lips were curled back in a sneer as his raptor gaze flashed and blazed like pure fire, his fury practically making the air crackle around him. He truly was the bringer of death in every way and he would make the ones who had taken Kahlan pay dearly.

“Theon…he…he has her,” the man managed to utter, his whole body trembling with fear. “He snuck up on her from behind…hit her over the head with the hilt of his sword…and…and took her out the back.”

“Who is Theon?” Chase asked as he came to stand beside his friend.

The boundary warden’s towering size only seemed to intensify the tavern keeper’s fear, nearly rendering him speechless until Richard suddenly pulled him back enough only to slam him back into the wall again.

“Who is Theon?” Richard hissed, his patience worn to a very fragile thread that was on the verge of snapping now with Kahlan missing.

“He…he’s Kao’s second in command…the bald guy you encountered,” the man choked out as great beads of sweat poured down his face and neck. “He…he’s just as ruthless as Kao is.”

“Where are they hiding out?” Richard demanded to know.

“B…ba…back of the tavern,” the man stuttered as he breathed heavily, his heart nearly pounding out of his chest. “There’s a secret corridor that leads to some rooms…they’re hidden behind the storage room.”

“Come on, Richard,” Chase told his friend, grabbing him by the upper arm. “Hopefully, he hasn’t gotten too far with her yet.”

Releasing the tavern keeper, Richard tossed him aside as if he weighed nothing before quickly turning to follow Chase, both racing through the back storage room only to find a secret door that had been left open. With swords drawn, they cautiously entered, hoping to find some sign of Kahlan and Theon.

Richard held his breath in anxious desperation to get to her before they did something to her. He had to get to her before Theon took her to Kao C’Id. The thought of that monster anywhere near his wife caused his blood to turn to ice water in his veins and yet fueled the flames of his fury nearly blazing out of control in his soul.

He silently cursed himself for not staying closer to her, for not keeping a better eye on her. He knew they were up against warriors the likes of which they’d never seen before and yet he had allowed them to be overwhelmed by their numbers.

These men were brutal, almost born with a wickedness deep inside of them that surpassed anything that they’d never encountered before. He thought that Darken Rahl had been epitome of evil, but he had been very wrong.

From what he’d seen so far and from what Kahlan had told him, evil had come to Aydindril in the form of Kao C’Id.

Richard frantically searched the rooms, finding nothing that would give them any clues as to what had happened to Kahlan. They tore through the largest of the three rooms, finding plates of food that were only half eaten, but nothing that pointed them to where Theon and Kao were right then or what their plans were.

“It looks like they were here not long ago,” Chase muttered to himself as he poked at the food with this tip of his sword.

“But where are they now?” Richard nearly roared as he slammed his fist against the wall before placing the palm of his hand against it. He leaned against the wall as if he needed the support, his head hung in defeat. “I can’t lose her, Chase.”

“Richard, I promise you…we will find her,” Chase reassured him.

The bounty warden didn’t think that he’d ever seen his friend this worked up before, this distraught. He quickly sheathed his sword before making his way to him, placing a reassuring hand on Richard’s shoulder and squeezing it firmly. 

He could feel the tension that simmered inside of the Seeker and was more than evident in his body, his muscles taut with pent up fury. He knew how deeply in love Richard and Kahlan were, how much they meant to each other, but this went beyond even that. 

This was something else altogether different, some deeper meaning behind all of the emotions storming through his friend.

“Richard, what’s going on?” Chase asked. “I know you’re worried about Kahlan…so am I…but there’s something more going on between the two of you, isn’t there?”

“We don’t have time to go into it right now, but yes…there have been some problems between us recently,” Richard ground out as his hand finally slid down the wall to hand limply at his side in defeat. “I have to find her right away or I’ll never be able to make it right between her and me.”

Chase felt a churning in his gut, never expecting there to be trouble in Richard and Kahlan’s marriage. If there was ever a solid, more passionate marriage, it was Richard and Kahlan’s. He knew though that, despite the titles they carried and the powerful magic they possessed, they were both still human at heart, still vulnerable to the obstacles that every married couple faced.

He just hoped that they could find Kahlan in time, giving them the chance they needed to save their marriage. He could see the guilt and desperation in Richard, the fear that he’d never see his wife again. He knew he’d do everything in his power to help him find her.

“Let’s go see what we can do about finding her,” Chase told him. “I’m assuming you’re still the best tracker this side of Westland?”

The comment put a small faint smile on the Seeker’s lips as he adjusted his grip on the hilt of his sword. “You know it, Chase.”

“Good,” the warden grinned. “I was afraid that cushy palace life had softened you up too much.”

Richard shook his head as a smile tugged slightly at the corner of his mouth. “I have not gotten soft.”

“Glad to hear it,” Chase replied. “I’d hate to have to put your in place again, teach you how to act like a wood’s guide again.”

Richard snorted as he made his way to the door. “Like you could,” he shot back.

“Hey, I taught you almost everything you know,” the boundary warden reminded him.

Richard cast a look at him that said he didn’t agree, but kept his mouth shut. While he appreciated his friend’s attempt to help ease his panic, he was far too upset about Kahlan to fall into the usual pattern of their friendly banter.

His heart was in his throat, his insides twisting painfully with an overwhelming sense of failure. He had failed her so many times over the last several weeks and he had failed her again now. If anything happened to her, he’d never be able to forgive himself.

As they exited the back of the tavern, they found that rain was already falling, cool droplets hitting Richard’s face as he kneeled down to study the tracks in the dirt. None of them were Kahlan’s which meant she was being carried.

Was she hurt? Was she even alive?

His mind raced in circles as his heart nearly stopped beating altogether with the thought, the countless “what ifs” swarming in his head and nearly making him lightheaded. No, Theon had specifically said that Kao C’Id had wanted them alive so Kahlan was not dead. If she was dead, he would know it…feel it in his heart.

“Any luck?” Chase asked as he kneeled down beside him.

“No…no sign of Kahlan,” Richard shook his head, a grim expression veiling his face while his brown eyes danced with fear. He pointed to the large set of tracks heading to the south before speaking again. “That has to be Theon’s. The heels of his boots dig deeper into the soft dirt meaning that he was carrying someone.”

“Well hopefully he’ll lead us to Kahlan then,” Chase nodded, standing to his feet.

They quickly began to follow the tracks in silence for a while before Richard asked the question that had been bombarding him since Chase had first revealed his presence. “Not that I’m not thrilled to see you again, but what are you doing here, Chase?”

“There have been rumors drifting through Westland for the last several weeks about trouble brewing in the D’Haran Empire,” Chase informed him, his face grim. “These people arrived stating that Lord Richard Rahl is not fit to rule, that he is just like his ancestors. They were spreading rumors of a rebellion against you and Kahlan so I came to see what was going on and there was anything I could do help you.” 

“Have you ever heard of Kao C’Id?” Richard asked.

“No, but I can tell by your expression and the things that have happened since I found you that he’s someone I don’t want to meet,” Chase frowned.

“He’s the one who’s trying to eliminate Kahlan and me,” Richard spat out. “He’s trying to take over the D’Haran Empire. There’s a large army heading this way at this very moment from the north. They’ll be in Aydindril by tomorrow afternoon.”

Chase released a ragged breath as he processed everything he was being told. “We’ll do whatever we have to in order to stop him, Richard,” he informed him. “We won’t let him win.”

“It feels like he already has,” Richard scowled, knowing that he probably had Kahlan by now.

“You won’t do Kahlan any good if you lose your head over this,” Chase warned him. “You need to keep your focus on finding this Kao C’Id before he takes over Aydindril and the Empire.”

“I’m worried that he may have already taken over,” Richard growled as he pointed ahead of them.

Following the direction that Richard was indicating, Chase stopped short when he spotted an army of large men all dressed in black as they began to descend upon the Confessor’s Palace like an enormous pack of wolves.

It looked as if the Underworld had just split open right in the heart of Aydindril. The apocalypse that Chase had heard rumored about in Westland finally coming to fruition.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 26

Kao C’Id gripped his sword tightly in his large hand; the pounding of his large boots echoing through the halls. The sound, however, was periodically drowned out by the lingering panicked screams and cries of those still trying to run for their lives, to escape the horror that had come to Aydindril.

But there would be no escape, only submission or death. 

A malevolent sneer twisted his lips as his men continued to ravage the palace, the grunts of battle and sounds of steel clashing filling his ears. His eyes black as coal and as dark as sin itself swiftly scanned over his new surroundings, taking in what now belonged to him.

He marched through the Confessor’s Palace that was now in his possession, his men dressed in their traditional black battle gear scurrying like ants to contain the inhabitants. Aydindril soldiers as well as some of the Palace staff lay scattered everywhere; pools of blood marring the pristine marble floors and long streaks splattered across walls.

He paused by one of the soldiers lying on the ground with a large puddle of blood beneath him, gasping mightily for every single breath he could possibly draw. His eyes were wide and glazed with the agonizing pain that gripped him from the large gaping wound in his side, his mouth hanging open as his entire body tensed and shuddered.

Kao knelt down on one knee beside him, his hand firmly gripping the man’s chin. “Safe passage to the Underworld, my friend,” he solemnly said to him.

“I’m…not your…your…friend…” the solider sneered defiantly at him. “Lord Rahl…will stop…you.”

Kao chuckled deeply with the man’s brave words, patting his cheek sardonically. “Your immense faith in your Lord Rahl is quite admirable, but the time for change has finally come and I’m the one who is going to bring it,” he told him. “You fought valiantly for your Lord and Lady Rahl, but you should welcome death now. You will not want to be here for what is about to come.”

“I…I…will stop…you…” the man softly gasped, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth as he fought to raise his sword, but he couldn’t make his arm obey his commands.

“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen,” Kao shook his head as he gripped the side of the man’s face. “Your time for rest has finally come, friend. Greet the Keeper for me when you see him.”

Kao stood to his feet then, thrusting his sword deep in the dying man’s chest and putting him out of his misery. He withdrew his sword, not even bothering to wipe the blood off of his blade. The red life-preserving fluid was the ultimate symbol of victory on a weapon, a sign that he had won and another had lost.

He watched as the light of life swiftly dissipated from the man’s hazel eyes, his cold stare met with a measure of respect by the man standing over him. Kao touched his forehead and lips before tapping his heart three times, bidding the fallen warrior peace in death.

Before moving on, Kao ran a long finger along his blade, gathering up a thick coating of blood on his fingertips before running it over his nose, across his forehead and along each cheekbone before ending with a red line down his chin and throat.

The time for war had come, the moment for purging and death to begin so that rebirth could come and life could start anew the way Kao had always envisioned the world to be. With Theon by his side, they would take over the Empire; expand it into Westland and the Dark Lands.

They had already begun their mission in the Old World, spreading their brand of peace and prosperity to all. They had been met with opposition there as well, but eventually the people of the Old World had seen the error of their ways and soon so would the people of Aydindril and the D’Haran Empire.

By the time he was done, no one would even remember that there had ever been a Richard and Kahlan Rahl or a Seeker and Mother Confessor. The House of Rahl would be dead, the line of Confessors no more. There would only be the Alliance and everyone would finally know of Kao C’Id.

Coming upon one of his commanders, Kao came to a stop. “Report.”

“We almost have the Confessor’s Palace secured,” the man informed his leader. “The people are being sequestered in the Council chambers for now until we’re given further orders.”

“Have the men been able to find Richard or Kahlan Rahl yet?”

“No, my Lord,” the man shook his head.

“What about their children?”

“No sign of them either, but we’re still searching the entire palace,” the soldier replied. “It’s going to take several hours before we’ve been able to search every single room.”

“I want them brought to me the moment they’re found,” Kao ordered him. “I’ll be in the throne room. That will be my base from now.”

“Yes, my Lord,” the soldier respectfully bowed his head. “Any more orders, Sir?”

“Yes,” Kao stated, his deep voice reverberating through the main foyer of the palace. “I want Ahti brought to me right away. Also, make sure that Theon comes to me the moment he arrives. He was supposed to be here for this. Find him.”

The commander bowed his head in acknowledgement of his orders before turning to leave while Kao continued on his way, wanting to see more of the famous Confessor’s Palace. So far, he had not been impressed by the shining beacon of truth and peace for the Midlands for thousands of years.

He paused before a long wall lined with paintings, each depicting the Mother Confessors who had ruled over Aydindril and the Midlands over the years. His eyes finally came to rest on the last one in a long row of paintings in decorative frames, his dark gaze drinking in the most powerful Mother Confessor since the very first.

The corners of his lips curled as he studied the beautiful Kahlan Amnell Rahl, her long raven hair and striking blue eyes a stunning contrast to the pristine white Confessor’s dress that adorned her. Her power and grace was evident in her bearing, her sharp blue eyes filled with great intelligence. She truly was a dangerous woman.

He lifted his hand, dragging a bloody finger over the painting of Kahlan and turning her white dress bright red as he intently studied it. “Soon, Kahlan…soon…” he softly cooed to the picture, leaning in close as he caressed her image that had been captured so beautifully with the paint. “You and your Richard will be no more.”

He closed his eyes as he pressed his forehead against the painting, focusing on the mind link that he’d had Ahti help him form with the Mother Confessor. He wormed his way into her thoughts every time she closed her eyes to sleep, making sure she knew that he would be there waiting for her, ready to torment her with the things that were to come.

“Kao!”

Pulling back to admire the painting a few moments longer, he finally responded. “Where have you been Theon?” he angrily ground out without turning around. “You were to be here for this.”

“I brought you a present instead.”

Kao slowly turned around, his dark eyes flashing as his gaze fell upon the unconscious woman slung over his friend’s broad shoulder. His lips curled back into a sneer of pleasure as he approached him, his eyes falling upon the body as Theon roughly threw her to the ground as if she was a nothing but a bag of trash.

He knelt down beside his prize, his fingers caressing her already bruised cheek, gathering some of the blood from the gash in the side of her forehead. He brought his fingers to his lips as his eyes fell closed, tracing them with Kahlan’s blood and adding to the already dried streaks on his face.

“You did well, Theon,” Kao gazed up at his lifelong friend with a dark glower. “Very well indeed.”

“I thought you would like it,” Theon smugly grinned down at his friend, folding his massive arms against his chest.

“Take her to the throne room,” Kao ordered him as he stood to his feet. “I want her ready for when the Lord Rahl arrives to save her.”

“Have the children been found yet?”

“No, not yet, but we will find them and when we do, Richard and Kahlan will watch them die,” Kao growled as his eyes settled on the now bloody painting of Kahlan Rahl.

XXX

Keeping to the safety of the shadows outside, Richard and Chase watched as more and more men dressed in sleeveless black body armor poured into the Confessor’s Palace, swords drawn and taking down anyone who dared to stand in their way. 

Aydindril soldiers lay dead on the steps and in the street leading up to the main entrance of the Palace, the ground drenched with their blood. People were running in every direction, trying to escape the sudden onslaught that had erupted out of nowhere.

How many of Kao’s men were in Aydindril already?

He had to get in there, his desperation to find Kahlan nearly choking the breath from his lungs as the magical fury from his sword inundated his body. He’d failed Kahlan when he’d been forced to watch as Sangria had beaten her, causing her to lose their precious baby. 

He couldn’t fail her again. 

Dear spirits, not again.

If he failed her this time, there was not one shred of doubt in his mind that she would die and he would lose her forever, never getting the chance to hold her again; to tell her how much he truly loved her…always had despite everything that had happened between them. 

Nothing had ever changed that or could ever change it. If anything, he found that he loved her even more now, his feelings for her stronger than ever. Her presence in his life had become even more precious to him than it ever had before.

Before, he had always thought he wouldn’t survive if he ever lost her. Now, he knew it with every beat of his heart because it beat only for her.

“Richard, I think you better tell me what’s going on around here,” Chase softly said from beside him. 

“Later,” the Seeker spat out, his raptor gaze focused on the scene playing out before him. “Right now, we’ve got to get inside the Confessor’s Palace and find Kahlan before Kao gets his hands on her.”

“Who are these people?” he scowled; dread settling like a heavy rock in the pit of his stomach.

“It’s Kao C’Id’s army,” Richard ground out, his fury wildly pounding through his veins with a renewed vengeance. “I should have known that if Kao was already here that he had some sort of plan up his sleeve. His army had been here all along right under our noses and we never even knew it.”

“I thought you said there was an army coming from the north,” Chase frowned.

“There is, but I think it was just a diversion,” Richard bit out. “Part of the army was already here hiding among us the whole time, waiting to lay siege on the Confessor’s Palace.”

Chase didn’t like this one bit. It felt like Kao wanted Richard to come after him, drawing him into his web like a deadly spider. “How are we going to get in there with all of Kao’s men?” he questioned him. “We don’t even know for sure if that’s where Theon took Kahlan.”

“She’s in there…I know it,” Richard stated with absolute certainty in his voice. “This is where Kao and Theon are setting themselves up to rule just like Kahlan and I did before we left for the People’s Palace for me to take the throne.”

“How do you plan on getting in there then?”

“We’ll have to find another way inside.”

“I think we better wait for now,” Chase told him. 

“I have to get to Kahlan, Chase,” Richard hissed, his chestnut brown eyes flashing with the rage thrumming through him.

“We will save her, Richard, but we’ll be no good to her if we get ourselves killed in the process,” he shot back. “Is there anyone here in Aydindril with you that we can trust?”

“Tristan Kabay, the King of Tashon is a friend of Kahlan. He’s searching Aydindril with Mistress Rachel in an effort to find Kao,” Richard said, a sharp sting momentarily piercing his heart with the reminder of Tristan. He knew how close he had come to losing Kahlan to him and it rattled him to the core of his being. “Zedd and Kahlan’s father Frederick are hidden deep within the Palace in a secret suite protecting my children.”

Chase noticed the way Richard visibly tensed when he said Tristan’s name. The fact that he said Tristan was a friend of Kahlan’s was not lost on him either. Something was definitely going on between Richard and Kahlan and he had a bad feeling this Tristan could be at the heart of it.

“Anyone else?” Chase asked.

“There are soldiers of the First File and Mord’Sith here as well, but they are all out scouring the city for signs of Kao,” he replied.

“We need to find them and regroup some place in secret so we can plan out our next move,” he told him, lying a reassuring hand on Richard’s forearm. “We will get Kahlan out of there, Richard, but we can’t do it alone. We need help…a lot of help.”

Richard slowly nodded his head, his eyes locked on the Palace that held his wife inside. He sent up a silent prayer to the spirits, begging them to protect her, pleading with them for the chance to gaze into her beautiful sapphire eyes once more.

Drawing a ragged breath, he finally backed further into the shadows with Chase, his jaw set tight with fierce determination. When he got his hands on Kao and Theon, they would curse the day they ever set foot in Aydindril let alone touched Kahlan.

XXX

Secretly following the three large men they’d come across, Tristan could practically feel the tension in the air, sensed that trouble had already begun. Evil had descended upon Aydindril in the sadistic form of Kao C’Id and it was going to take everything they had to be able to stop him. 

Even then, he feared it wouldn’t be nearly enough to prevent this monster from razing all three territories to the ground.

The sounds of screaming and fighting suddenly assaulted his ears, causing an icy shiver to lance through him. It was beginning. They had started a day early, the army descending on them from the north nothing more than a diversion from Kao C’Id’s real plan.

He needed to find Richard and Kahlan, let them know what was happening. “We’ve got to get out of here before we get caught up in the fight as well.”

“We need to go help the Aydindril soldiers, make sure that Kao C’Id doesn’t take the Confessor’s Palace,” Rachel insisted with a fierce scowl as the sounds of battle quickly escalated.

Rachel pushed past him as her hand went for her agiel only to be stopped by a firm hold on her arm. Tristan grabbed hold of the determined Mord’Sith’s arm, pulling her back harder than he had intended and drawing her firmly into his arms.

He suddenly found himself extremely close to the petite woman, his arms wrapped around her, the fierce determination and anger flashing in her eyes only adding to her beauty. He could practically feel her warm breath against his face in that unexpected moment of intimate closeness.

It caused Tristan’s breath to unexpectedly catch in her chest as he gazed into her eyes. “We…we won’t be any good to Richard and Kahlan if we get captured or killed,” he said, his voice losing a measure of the heated resolve that it had just held.

Losing herself in his handsome face, Rachel fought the sudden overwhelming urge to kiss him. Despite her Lord Rahl’s sudden reappearance and desire to save his marriage, Tristan still had strong feelings for the Mother Confessor.

It made her heart suddenly sink in her chest.

Rachel awkwardly disengaged herself from his embrace despite her desire for more from him. “Fine,” she curtly relented as she steeled herself, trying desperately to hide her sudden flustered state. “What do you suggest we do then?”

Tristan smiled to himself as he noticed the faint rosy flush that suffused her face. He didn’t know that Mord’Sith could actually blush or become embarrassed like that. The fact that he had been able to elicit such a visible reaction in her caused his heart to flutter.

“I think we better backtrack the way that Richard and Kahlan went and try to find them as soon as possible so we can warn them,” he suggested.

“I just hope that we can find them before Kao and his men do,” Rachel growled as she followed him back down an empty narrow side street.

They walked in silence for several long moments, each of them lost in their own thoughts and neither realizing that they were actually thinking about the other.

Tristan felt so confused about these unexpected feelings and urges that he suddenly felt for Rachel. He thought that he loved and wanted Kahlan, but now he wasn’t quite so certain anymore. Rachel was beginning to stir unanticipated feelings inside that he couldn’t quite understand.

He knew that he had feelings for Kahlan, had always been in love with her since the day that he had met her, but he was beginning to think now that maybe he had been more in love with the notion, with the dream of marrying her the last four years.

Had his feelings for Kahlan truly diminished since she had left and married her Seeker? As hurt as he was that she had chosen to work things out with Richard, he wasn’t as devastated as he had been when she’d been sent to Westland to find the Seeker or when he had learned of their marriage.

He had been so heartbroken when he’d learned that Kahlan had fallen in love with her Seeker. He’d ended up leaving Tashon for a while after that, requesting to take care of business for his father far away so he wouldn’t have to be around here when Kahlan and Richard returned after defeating the Keeper.

Now, Tristan found that he wasn’t quite so broken over it this time, a part of him finally accepting that this was the way things had been meant to be all along. Kahlan had been right before when she had told him that he needed to find someone who could love him.

An unexpected sense of peace washed through him with the realization, a sudden sense of relief and lightness flooding him. In that moment, he knew that he would always care deeply for Kahlan, but he was ready to find someone who could return his love, someone he could build a life with.

Rachel silently berated herself for becoming so flustered by Tristan when he’d unexpectedly pulled her into his arms. Her Lord Rahl and Kahlan were in danger as well as their small children and here she was all nervous and blushing like a silly schoolgirl over a crush. She was Mord’Sith for Creator’s sake.

What had gotten into her? She never used to act like this, had never been so distracted by a man before. It had just been her mission to protect Lord Rahl and his family and nothing else in her life, nothing more to look forward to and a small part of her had been content with that, but not so much anymore.

She clenched her fists as she followed behind the handsome King of Tashon, but it was difficult to follow him without appreciating his large muscular frame. His build reminded her of Garren, but not quite as big as the Commander. There was a regal confidence to him that she admired, a kind heart that deserved to know love.

She found herself beginning to daydream about what a life with Tristan would be like, to actually give up her life as a Mord’Sith to become his wife. She found it more than difficult to think about leaving Lord and Lady Rahl and yet, at the same time, the dream was so very enticing.

Rachel was swiftly brought out of her reverie when Tristan abruptly stopped right in front of her, causing her to plow right into the back of him. She quickly stepped back, averting her gaze with a murmured apology.

“I just saw Richard with a man I’ve never seen before,” Tristan suddenly informed her, a scowl on his face. “Kahlan’s not with him.”

“I wonder where she is,” Rachel frowned. “We better follow them and find what’s going on. Kahlan could be in trouble.”

“Come on,” Tristan nodded his head in agreement, his heart beginning to pound in his ears. “We better catch up with them and find out what’s happened.”


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 27

Zedd grinned affectionately at Paige as he bounced her on his knees, chuckling softly at the contagious giggles that kept bubbling up inside of the precious toddler. Her giggles matched her twin’s who was sitting on their other grandfather’s knee.

Priya squealed as Frederick began to tickle her, reaching out to try to tickle her grandfather’s neck in retaliation. Her infectious giggles filled the room in the hidden suite in the bowels of the Confessor’s Palace.

“You look so much like your mother,” Frederick grinned lovingly at her, his hand caressing her soft chocolate brown hair.

Priya just smiled at him, revealing her two lower teeth as she reached out to grab hold of Frederick’s nose. He pretended to nibble at her fingers causing her to shriek as she quickly drew her hand back. She stood up on the tops of his legs, leaning in close to tug on his beard with her little fist in revenge for his attack.

“You’re also a spit fire just like your mother,” Frederick chuckled with her attempt.

“Mama,” Paige mumbled curiously as she patted Zedd’s cheek, her chestnut eyes filled with sadness, sensing her mother’s absence.

“I know, little one…I know,” Zedd smiled ruefully. “I miss her very much too, but don’t you worry. She’ll be back before you know it.”

“Dada?” she frowned with equal concern.

“He’ll be back soon too,” Zedd promised her, his weathered hand coming to rest against her freckled cheek. “He’ll be so excited to see you both.”

Zedd’s heart suddenly felt heavier than ever before as he gazed into the eyes that were so much like his grandson’s. He swallowed past the thick painful knot that had abruptly formed in his throat, knowing deep down that her parents might never return to them.

Frederick felt the sudden heaviness that had unexpectedly blanketed the room, but if he was honest with himself, he’d have to admit that it had been there all along. They had both just chosen not to acknowledge or talk about it right now.

His eyes lifted to meet Zedd’s, both thinking the same thing, both feeling the same overwhelming fear that they might never see their loved ones this side of the veil that separated the world of the living from the world of the dead. Grandchildren were never meant to die before their grandparents.

Zedd suddenly became blurry as tears filled Frederick’s eyes, a pair of small hands on his face forcing the tears back down again. He turned his attention back on his sweet granddaughter who was looking at him with concern in his eyes, her head tilted to the side as if trying to figure out what was wrong with her grandfather.

“I’m sorry, little Princess,” Frederick forced a smile for her, leaning in and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I just miss your mother too, but she’ll be here to see you soon and then how about we all go on a picnic together? I used to take your mother and your aunt Dennee on picnics. We would go for a swim in the stream and catch frogs. Would you like that?”

Priya began to bounce on her legs, excitement lighting up her face with the suggestion. She began to jabber animatedly, her eyes sparkling brightly. Frederick thought that she and her sister had to be just about the most adorable little girls that he had ever met.

“They’ll get through this, Frederick,” Zedd attempted to reassure him. “They have to. They have too much to fight for…to live for.”

“I know,” Frederick sighed, standing to his feet with Priya in his arms. “I just can’t help wondering where they’re at right now, what they’re doing…if they’re alright.”

“Now stop that, Frederick Amnell,” Aggie said as she suddenly appeared with a large tray laden with food. “You’ll just worry yourself sick if you keep thinking like that.”

“It’s about time, woman!” Zedd cried as he eyed the tray that held his supper. “I’m starving!”

“When aren’t you starving, Wizard?” Aggie frowned at him. “I swear to the Creator that you must have a hole in that stomach of yours.”

Frederick chuckled with their banter. It was a refreshing reprieve from the constant dread that he felt was pressing in on them from every side, threatening to steal the very air from their lungs. He didn’t know how much longer he was going to be able to stand it.

“And you need to stop worrying so much,” Aggie said, turning a sharp reprimanding eye on Frederick. “You’ll just make yourself sick and then you’ll be no good to any of us least of Richard and Kahlan or their children.”

Frederick sighed heavily as he sat down at the table with Zedd. “I know,” he admitted as he settled Priya in his lap to eat dinner. “I just wish that we knew what was happening to them.”

“In all honesty, it’s probably best that we don’t know,” Zedd grimly confessed. “It’ll be better to hear about it after it’s all said and done.”

Frederick silently nodded his head in agreement, but couldn’t find his voice to respond at that moment. His heart was in his throat as the worst began to flood his mind, images of Richard and Kahlan lying injured or dead somewhere. It nearly overwhelmed him, causing tears to fill his throat again against his will.

A sudden firm hand on his shoulder pulled him back from that horrifying precipice of madness. He turned to find himself staring into Aggie’s kind eyes. “Now, that’s enough of that, Frederick,” she gently scolded him. “They’ll be fine. Richard and Kahlan were born for this. It’s what they do, what they were gifted to be – the force for good to stand in the face of the evil that is threatening to run rampant through Aydindril and the Empire if we’re not careful.”

“She’s right you know,” Zedd grinned as he raised a spoonful of soup to his lips. “You better learn right now, Frederick; you never argue against Aggie and expect to be victorious in the end.”

“I had a definite feeling that was the case,” Frederick slyly smiled back. “Now, enough about things that we have no control over at the moment. What did you whip up for us old men to eat that smells so good?”

“Zedd’s favorite spice soup, of course,” Aggie proudly announced.

“Zedd!” Katrina suddenly called as she rushed into the main room with Aiden cradled in her arms. “Something’s wrong with Aiden. I went to wake him to feed him and he’s burning up with fever.”

Zedd immediately got to his feet, handing Paige over to Aggie as he made his way to his great grandson. “Here, let me have him,” he said, taking the baby into his arms. “Oh, you are burning up.”

Aiden sniffled and wiggled in his grandfather’s arms, his little face contorting as he began to cry. Zedd held him against his chest as he patted his back in an effort to soothe him. “I know I’m not your mother, little one,” he cooed as he settled on the couch with him. “You know not many can pull me away from my supper, but you’re one of my special favorites so it’s alright.”

Settling the feverish baby on his lap, Zedd touched Aiden’s forehead as he continued to coo softly to him. “You are one very sick little boy,” he frowned as he allowed a small thread of magic to trickle into the infant. “Hopefully, this will help you feel a little better.”

“What is it, Zedd?” Frederick questioned, worry lacing his voice.

“It seems our little Aiden has a nasty infection that has settled into his lungs,” the old Wizard explained. The concern clouding his eyes not lost on any of them.

“Can you help him?” Aggie asked.

“I’ve gotten his fever down for the moment,” Zedd informed them as he lightly rubbed Aiden’s chest. “To be honest, it would help if we had some yarrow root to give the little fellow, but I doubt they have any herbal remedies stocked down here.”

“Let me go check our supplies,” Aggie suggested as she quickly made her way to the back with Paige in tow.

Zedd lifted Aiden to his chest once more, patting the crying baby’s back. Aiden soon settled down, finally falling asleep in his grandfather’s arms. Zedd cast a glance at his great granddaughter sitting at the table with Frederick. 

Watching them as they ate, he was unable to help the crushing feeling of dread that was telling him that this was only the beginning of something much worse that was yet to come for all of them.

XXX

Richard glanced up at the sky to find that the gathering darkness wasn’t just because of the severe thunderstorms that were beginning to roll in. Evening was fast approaching. It made his heart clench painfully knowing that Kahlan was in the hands of Kao right now.

He needed to get in there and get her out before Kao could hurt her. There wasn’t any doubt in his mind that every second she spent with that monster took her one step closer to finally meeting the Keeper. The thought nearly buckled his knees.

Kao didn’t seem the type to play mind games, to tease and to taunt like Darken Rahl used to enjoy doing. Darken Rahl loved to do things just to toy with Richard’s sanity, doing his best to draw him to the edge in order to create the most damage.

He was into inflicting emotional and mental anguish just as much as physical as he plotted to destroy him and Kahlan.

Kao C’Id, on the other hand, was obviously consumed with destroying his enemy, conquering and taking what he wanted no matter what the cost. The bloodbath at the Confessor’s Palace had bore witness to that fact, images of those slain lying in the street in front of the Palace still lingering in his mind.

Casting a sidelong glance at his friend, Chase could clearly see the fear that had a crushing grip on Richard. His face was pale, his jaw set tight and his brown eyes dark with incredible fury. After all that he’d been through with Richard, he’d never seen him quite like this.

He feared that his friend was truly going to snap this time, the rage that flashed in his eyes finally taking control and wiping out all logic and common sense. Richard was losing himself to the furious storm churning within and it scared him.

“Someone’s following us,” Richard suddenly muttered under his breath.

“How can you tell?” Chase frowned, his hand automatically going for his sword as he wondered how he’d missed something like that.

“I just know it,” he muttered, tightening his grasp on his sword.

Quickly side-stepping into the dark shadows of some overgrown brush, Richard and Chase waited and watched to see who was following them. “Richard, I think you’ve been holding on to that sword of yours for far too long,” Chase softly muttered with a scowl. “It’s beginning to mess with your head.”

Just then, Tristan and Rachel came around the corner, confusion lining their faces. “I know I saw them go this way,” Tristan frowned.

“Where could they have gone?” Rachel asked, her eyes swiftly scanning the area for any signs of where her Lord Rahl had just gone.

“What are you two doing here?” Richard asked as he and Chase emerged from the shadows.

“Kao C’Id has already started the attack,” Tristan informed him. “We think Kao C’Id already has taken over the Confessor’s Palace.”

“We already know,” Chase scowled.

“Who are you and where is Kahlan?” Tristan demanded to know.

“Kahlan’s been taken,” Richard sneered as he turned away from them only to have a firm hand roughly grab hold of his arm, pulling him to a stop.

“What do you mean she’s been taken?” Tristan snarled, his hold on the Seeker’s arm tightening as he drew the Seeker closer to him.

Richard looked down at Tristan’s hand on his arm, his sneer growing more vicious by the second. He suddenly yanked his arm free from the man’s hold on him as they stood to toe to toe with one another. “Kao has her,” he stated with a deadly tone that told the King of Tashon to back off.

Tristan and Richard glowered at one another, neither one about to back down. Sensing the fierce tension between the two on the verge of erupting, Chase finally reached an arm between them, firmly pushing Richard back a couple of steps.

“One of Kao’s men took her when they attacked Richard and Kahlan in the tavern a little while ago,” Chase explained. “I got there too late to stop it, but we believe that Kao is holding her in the Confessor’s Palace now.”

Tristan’s chest was heaving by now as he glared hotly at Richard. “If she dies, it’s on your head,” he hissed, pointing an accusing finger at him.

Richard took a threatening step towards him, his sword clutched so tightly in his hand that his knuckles were white. He ground his teeth almost to the point of cracking as he fought to contain the thunderstorm of fury brewing in his soul, his body nearly trembling from the onslaught of emotions.

He was battling hard to remain in control when all he wanted was to tear through anyone who stood in his way of getting to his wife. This man had tried to take Kahlan away from him, forcing her to come to Aydindril and leaving him behind. That was something that was not so easily forgiven.

“Tristan,” Mistress Rachel suddenly snapped, grabbing his arm and pulling him back away from Richard. “This isn’t helping Kahlan or anyone else for that matter.”

Tristan finally broke his glare from the Seeker to look down at Rachel. He immediately felt his anger begin to recede as he lost himself in her eyes, her presence creating an unexpected tranquility inside of him. His body swiftly relaxed, his muscles easing.

He slowly nodded his head in understanding. “You’re right…I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I just can’t imagine what he could be doing to her right now.”

“We can’t think about that or we’ll never be able to do what is needed to save Kahlan or Aydindril,” Rachel reminded him, her hand slowly sliding down his arm to grasp his hand.

Tristan’s eyes fell to her hold on him, his fingers instinctively closing around her hand to squeeze it. “Thank you, Rachel.”

Rachel gave him a small reassuring smile, squeezing his hand in response before pulling it free. She suddenly felt very awkward, somewhat flustered for having shown such emotion not only to him, but in front of Lord Rahl.

Turning, she was relieved to see Richard and the other man were still talking, completely oblivious to what had been going on between her and Tristan. It looked like the large man was trying to talk some sense into Lord Rahl.

“I don’t know what’s been going on around here, but Tristan obviously is part of the trouble between you and Kahlan,” Chase sternly said, his dark eyes boring into the Seeker. “Whatever hostility you may have towards Tristan must be set aside for now if you want to get Kahlan back.”

Richard drew a deep cleansing breath, forcing back the aggression and jealousy that were still coursing through him. He knew that Chase was right. Kahlan was all that mattered right now, stopping Kao C’Id from hurting her and destroying Aydindril. 

He could not allow Kao to gain control of the city or it would just be a horrifying domino effect that would ripple throughout the entire D’Haran Empire, stretching clear to the People’s Palace and possibly beyond. 

The People’s Palace.

Richard felt a sudden twisting in his gut, dread rising up in his throat at the thought of Kao’s reach extending to his home, his friends that were like family to him. If he was trying to take over an empire, he would not only strike in Aydindril, but he would also strike at the very heart of it – the home of the Lord Rahl.

“I’m sorry, Chase,” Richard murmured. “You’re right. We need to focus on getting into the Confessor Palace and saving Kahlan. I also have to get my hands on Edmund’s Journey book. I need to get a message to Cara and Garren at the People’s Palace.”

“Why do you need to send a message there?” Chase shook his head in confusion.

“Because, if I were Kao I wouldn’t just go after Aydindril…” Richard explained.

“You’d also target the ruling seat of the Empire,” Chase finished for him with sudden realization.

“I have a very bad feeling that he’s probably already started to stir up trouble back home,” Richard scowled, furious with himself for not seeing it sooner.

“Wouldn’t that cut your army pretty thin to be so divided like that between two large cities?” Chase thoughtfully questioned. “I mean the D’Haran Empire will have the strongest, largest army around not to mention the First File. They wouldn’t be so easily defeated.”

“Not unless he’s got an army just as equally large,” Richard frowned, raking his fingers back through his hair as he released a ragged breath.

Chase felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck suddenly bristle, the ramifications of such a thing causing him to fear greatly for Westland. There would be no stopping him from pushing into Westland if Kao gained control of the D’Haran Empire. 

XXX

Kahlan groaned softly as her head lolled to the side, the firm hold of unconsciousness beginning to slip away. She slowly became acutely aware of the crushing pressure that was building in her skull making her nauseated, bile suddenly rising in the back of her throat and seeking escape. 

She swallowed hard in an attempt to keep it down, finding that her throat was like a desert. She attempted to open her eyes, but realized that it took far too much effort to even try to lift her eyelids. All she wanted to do was sleep, to curl up in a ball and sleep for days.

She tried to move her arms only to discover that she couldn’t, her wrists chained directly above her head. Every fiber of her body hurt as if she’d been beaten repeatedly, a strange cool sensation against her skin telling her that something was very wrong. 

She finally forced herself to open her eyes only to find that her left eye wouldn’t open completely. It was partially swollen, the feeling of something warm and sticky on the side of her face providing more clues as to what had happened to her. 

She quickly closed her eyes again against the bright torch lighting that surrounded the room making her head hurt even worse if that was possible. She tried to make her mind function, but it was beyond difficult. Her thoughts were so muddled and disjointed, the sharp spiking pain that continually lanced through her head making her want to vomit.

Drawing a slow deep breath, she finally forced herself to open her eyes again, discovering that she was dangling a couple of feet off the ground in the throne room of the Confessor’s Palace. There didn’t appear to be anyone with her at the moment.

Kahlan drew another breath in order to calm the sudden panic that flooded her, her heart hammering as she struggled to remember what had happened. She remembered being with Richard in the tavern. They had been fighting Kao’s men and then…nothing.

Richard.

She had to find him, had to make sure that he was alright. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him now, not when she was so close to finally getting him back. She felt tears sting her eyes as she thought about him, how much she truly loved him.

She struggled against the chains holding her fast, the steel digging and rubbing her wrists raw. She hissed as she finally settled again, her shoulder joints on fire, feeling as if her arms were being pulled right out of their sockets.

Looking down at herself, Kahlan gasped sharply at what she found. She was hardly wearing any clothing at all, most of her body exposed for all to see. Her fury rose up like a deadly bolt of lightning within her, seeking someone to make pay for this outrageous transgression against her.

The steadily growing sounds of boot strikes against the marble floor alerted her to the fact that someone was coming. She gritted her teeth, searching desperately for her powerful magic that resided in her soul, ready for release at a moment’s notice.

Only it wasn’t there.

Filled with panic, Kahlan raised her eyes to meet the source of the sudden low deep chuckle that filled the throne room and echoed off of the walls. She felt an icy shiver of dread race up her spine as her gaze fell on him; her insides twisting with fear as the nightmares suddenly came to life.

It was Kao C’Id.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 28

Kahlan did her best to keep her body from trembling as she watched Kao C’Id approach her, the wicked gleam flickering in his coal black eyes making her exposed skin crawl. She forced herself to take even breaths, fighting to keep her heart from pounding out of her chest as he drew near.

She kept her eyes locked on him, refusing to show the slightest bit of fear despite the terror that had gripped her. Memories and images from the horrifying nightmares that Kao had forced her to endure over the last several nights sprang to her mind, forcing her to relive the revulsion of watching her beloved city, her friends and family…Richard and her children…being slaughtered right before her eyes.

Kao took slow deliberate steps, his eyes never leaving her face…her body. It made her feel filthy and tainted the way his eyes roamed over her like a starving animal ready to pounce on his prey. She held her chin up high, keeping her Confessor’s face firmly in place.

Kao came to stand right before her, his hands clasped behind his back. Because of his enormous towering height, he was able to stare directly into her eyes despite the fact she was hanging by her shackles two feet off the ground.

He just stood there for several painfully unnerving minutes just staring at her, his depraved gaze tracing over every single curve of her body as if imprinting it into his mind to dwell on later. Kahlan ground her teeth, refusing to close her eyes or look away from him.

A wicked smile slowly spread across his tanned face, revealing a set of white teeth. As dark and barbaric as he appeared, she was stunned to find his teeth so perfect. Fine lines around his dark eyes crinkled as he began to laugh, a low deep rolling chuckle that seemed to vibrate in her chest.

“It is an honor to finally meet the infamous Mother Confessor Kahlan Rahl,” Kao finally said, his deep voice rolling like thunder.

Kahlan refused to speak, her cold glare her only response as he began a slow deliberate saunter all the way around her. She felt nausea roiling in the pit of her stomach, a shiver of panic lancing through her as he finally came to a stop before her.

“Rumors of your beauty do not do you justice, Kahlan,” Kao admired, his hand coming free to run a slow calloused finger across her cheekbone.

She quickly pulled away from his vile touch, but had nowhere to go chained with her hands over her head like she was. She felt as though her shoulder joints were going to pop out of place with the constant strain they were under.

Kao’s derisive chuckle filled her ears again as he gripped her chin in his firm grasp, forcing her to look him in the eye. “You will die, Kahlan,” he assured her with a confidence that made her shudder despite her best effort. “It won’t be today or tomorrow…probably not even the day after that, but I promise you that you will die…you and your husband and your children. You will watch them all be slaughtered right before your eyes and then you will die as well.”

“I will kill you if you lay a finger on my husband or my children,” Kahlan hissed, her bright blue eyes flashing dangerously with the fury within.

Kao’s chuckle was grating on her nerves, inflaming her anger and making it burn even hotter. “I love your spirit, Kahlan Rahl,” he grinned at her, finally releasing his hold on her chin. “It’s very…alluring.”

“What do you want?” she bit out.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he cocked an eyebrow as he studied her, an incredulous expression on his face. “The world, of course.”

“You won’t win,” Kahlan coldly stated. “Richard and I will stop you.”

“I would be very disappointed if you didn’t try to stop me,” he admitted to her. “I’m looking forward to a confrontation with Richard Rahl, the renowned Seeker of Truth. I’ve dreamed of it.”

“Richard’s going to make you curse the day your parents ever conceived you,” she spat out, her lips twisted into a disdainful sneer.

“You’re going to be so much fun to play with, Kahlan,” Kao admired her, his hand caressing her side before moving to her thigh. “Maybe I’ll keep you around longer than I had first planned.”

“The longer I’m alive, the greater the chance that I will kill you,” she sneered at him.

“You keep talking like that you’re going to arouse me even more than you already have,” he told her with a smirk dancing on his lips. “I’m already finding it hard not to just take you right here…bound in your chains. It would be so incredibly easy.”

Kahlan’s chest was heaving with the anger and fear that was coursing through her now. Her eyes fell closed as he began to run his hands over her body, stroking her skin with his rough calloused hands and enjoying the soft smoothness of it. She wanted to vomit, to make him stop, but she couldn’t.

The feel of cool metal around her throat as well as the frightening emptiness in her soul told her there was a Rada’Han around her neck. She was powerless to stop this monster from touching her, doing whatever he wanted with her, but she would make him pay in the end.

She gritted her teeth as he leaned in to press his lips against her stomach, tongue sneaking out for a taste. A low rumble of laughter suddenly filled the room as he suddenly pulled away, his dark eyes filled with a kind of depraved lust that made her stomach churn with sick dread.

“Yes…you and I are going to have a lot of fun together,” he murmured again, his fingers caressing her lips before turning and leaving her all alone again.

Tears stung her eyes as she hung there in the throne room all alone. Her throat constricted with the anguish and rage that had welled up inside of her. She would kill this man for touching her, violating her. He would not live to touch her like this ever again.

XXX

The sound of a woman’s panicked screams echoed through the hallway followed by the roll of deep sadistic laughter. It caused the fine hairs on the back of Cyrus’s neck to stand on end, her screams abruptly fading along with her life as Kao’s men finished her off.

Cyrus’s chin fell to his chest as tears burned in his eyes, overwhelming guilt nearly devastating his heart. He had been the reason that poor woman had lost her life, the one who had helped bring this unimaginable horror upon Aydindril. He would never be able to forgive himself for this for the rest of his life which might not be that much longer at this rate.

He momentarily paused, his hand finding a nearby wall to brace himself as he fought to contain the panic that had risen in his throat, threatening to choke the life out of him. How had he allowed himself to become this…this dreadful person full of such hate, this monster who had just condemned his beloved city to a death sentence they might never recover from?

Edmund turned back to find Cyrus leaning heavily on a wall for support, his face pale. “Cyrus!” he softly hissed, racing back towards his friend with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“I…I can’t believe…” he choked out as he shook his head. “I had no idea this…that I…”

Edmund put a sympathetic hand on the other man’s shoulder, squeezing it. Despite everything that had happened, all of Cyrus Lang’s involvement in the plot to overthrow Richard and Kahlan, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for his lifelong friend. He knew now that Cyrus had never intended for any of this to happen, but it had and now they needed to stop it.

“Come now,” he firmly said. “These deaths are on Kao and Trevor’s shoulders, not yours. You did not seek out Kao C’Id yourself. Trevor Bail did that and I have a feeling he would’ve done it regardless of anything that you or anyone else could have said or done.”

Cyrus slowly nodded his head in understanding, drawing a deep breath. “We have to do something, Edmund. We can’t allow this madman to destroy Aydindril.”

“We will stop him, but we need to get out of the open like this before we’re found,” Edmund told him.

“Where can we go?” he frowned. “Kao’s men are storming through the Confessor’s Palace, killing anyone who gets in their way.”

“I know this Palace inside and out,” Edmund replied with a sudden confident grin that Cyrus was definitely not feeling. “There are secret passages that run all throughout this place. Besides, we can’t lose hope. Kahlan and Richard are still out there. They will not stop until Kao is dead.”

“You’re right,” Cyrus sighed heavily as he straightened up. “What do you suggest we do now?”

“I think we need to…”

The sudden chilling sound of depraved laughter filled the corridor causing Cyrus to look back over his shoulder in the direction Edmund was now staring. Pounding boot strikes mimicked the forceful thumping of his heart knowing they were about to be discovered.

“Come on,” Edmund murmured, firmly grabbing Cyrus’s arm and pulling him down the hall with him.

Edmund and Cyrus took off in a dead run, careening around the next corner in order to evade the approaching troops bent on slaying anyone left in their path. They sidestepped bodies lying scattered here and there on the marble floor that was streaked with blood, cold dead eyes of friends now lost staring back at them in silent warning.

Later they would have time to grieve, to mourn the loss of so many lives, so many friends. Right now they couldn’t dwell on the horrors that surrounded them, the bodies that had been ripped to shreds with swords and axes. 

Cyrus swallowed back the sudden bile that burned in his throat like acid at the blood that dripped down the walls and coated the floor, his foot slipping in the wet red fluid that seemed to run like a river through the once pristine Confessor’s Palace.

Glancing down, he suddenly spotted Linus Bertram lying in a pool of his own blood, his entrails spilled out all over the ground. Steeling himself, he forced his legs to move, knowing there was nothing more that he could do to help Linus now.

Edmund paused, motioning for Cyrus to hurry and follow him. “This way!” he hissed.

Cyrus followed Edmund into a large room, racing towards the back of the room. The sounds of a woman screaming down the hall again filled their ears as Edmund searched for the secret lever that would open the hidden door. 

Cyrus clutched his dagger tighter in his hand as the screams grew louder, her pleas for help going unnoticed by anyone who could help her. “We have to go help her,” he insisted, taking a step back in the direction they had just come.

“No!” Edmund growled, seizing hold of Cyrus’s arm and jerking him back. “We can’t get caught as well.”

“No! No…stop!” the woman screamed. “Don’t touch me! Let go of me! Please…stop!”

They listened in absolute horror as the woman was slammed to the floor, her clothes being ripped off of her body as she shrieked and struggled against her attackers. Cyrus gritted his teeth in rage, the overwhelming need to help her flooding his system.

“We can’t just sit here and let them rape her!” Cyrus snapped, his eyes blazing with rage. “They’re going to kill her!”

“And we can’t take on ten of Kao’s men,” Edmund reminded him, the woman’s shrieks of terror growing louder as they brutalized her. “We don’t have the weapons to even do it.”

Cyrus stared into Edmund’s eyes, unable to make his voice work. He knew and understood the truth of his words, but knowing and it accepting it were two very different things. He finally relented, following him through the secret passageway, the woman’s cries for help growing muffled as the door slid shut behind them.

They both leaned against the wall of the secret corridor, fighting to catch their breaths. They listened as the woman’s screams finally died out, her life being extinguished by the vile monsters that had infested their home.

The magical globes installed along the corridor immediately began to glow with their presence, giving off a soft light that allowed them to see where they were going. Thick layers of dust covered the walls and floor, heavy cobwebs dangling from the ceilings. It was obvious no one had been through here in years.

Both men hung their heads in heavy grief, lifting up silent prayers to the Creator for the poor woman’s soul…for all of those that had been lost knowing that they would sharing their ultimate fate as well if they didn’t do something to stop this utter madness they had been plunged into.

Edmund put a reassuring hand on his friend’s slumped shoulder. “You know we couldn’t have helped her, Cyrus,” he gently reminded him. “Believe me when I say I wish that we could’ve done something, but we’d be dead now too along with her.”

“I know…you’re right,” Cyrus whispered. “I just…I wish we could’ve helped her.”

“Me too, but we’d be dead too and we can’t afford that right now,” Edmund replied. “Richard and Kahlan are going to need as much help as they can get especially with us being on the inside like this.”

“How will we get word to them?”

“I don’t know,” Edmund admitted with a thoughtful shake of his head. “We need to come up with a plan, find a way to let them know we’re here.”

“What do you suggest we do now?”

“We need to find some supplies like food and water as well as more weapons,” he said.

“Where are Lord Rahl’s First File and Mord’Sith right now?” Cyrus asked.

Edmund checked down both ways of the secret corridor, trying to remember the layout of the Palace before finally responding. “They were sent out with the Mord’Sith to help scour the city for Kao. We’re on our own for now until we can somehow get word to Richard and Kahlan that we’re in here.”

“Alright,” Cyrus nodded. “Let’s get moving then.”

XXX

Richard could not stop pacing as he raked his fingers back through his hair in obvious frustration. Thoughts of Kahlan and what she could possibly be going through at that moment ate at his sanity like a deadly virus, threatening to tear him apart.

Everything inside of him was screaming at him to go after her, to storm the Confessor’s Palace and get her out of there and away from Kao and his vile friend. The thought of them touching her, hurting her nearly took his legs out from under him.

Images of them running their filthy hands over her, touching her in places that only he had ever touched caused his rage to thunder through him. His body nearly trembled with the fury searing through his veins, the sick nausea that churned in his stomach. The thought of her in pain, suffering at the hands of those monsters was too much to bear.

Regardless of what they did to her, Kahlan had to fight. She had to know…had to believe…that he would come for her no matter what it took. She couldn’t give up, had to hang on. He would always come for her…always.

A sudden firm hand on his shoulder broke him free from his tormented thoughts, causing him to stop his worried pacing. He turned to find Chase standing beside him, a reassuring glint in his dark eyes. “Richard, don’t go there,” he softly warned him, his voice gentle yet firm. “You don’t want to think those things right now. It’ll only tear you apart.”

Richard drew a shuddering breath as he slowly nodded his head, fighting to control the fury that was teeming within, begging for release. “I can’t lose her, Chase,” he choked out. “She’s my whole life.”

“I know,” Chase nodded. “And we’ll get her back, but imagining what they’re doing to her right now isn’t going to help. It’s only going to drive you insane.”

“You’re right,” he sighed heavily.

Chase watched as the Seeker’s dark brown eyes began to blaze again, but this time with a different kind of fury…one that was bred from jealousy. “What’s the story on this Tristan guy?”

Richard snorted in response as he folded his arms against his chest. “Are you sure you want to know?” he ground out. “He’s a friend of Kahlan’s.”

“And?” Chase prodded him, leaning his back against a table to listen to the story.

“He and Kahlan were betrothed to be married at one time,” Richard replied, his voice growing hard.

“What? When?”

“Before Kahlan was sent by the Mother Confessor to find the Seeker in Westland,” he told him. “Evidently, Tristan has been in love with Kahlan for years and begged his father who was a king to negotiate a marriage arrangement. The wedding never happened because Kahlan had been sent to find me.”

“She doesn’t love him, Richard,” Chase shook his head in disbelief. “She loves you. You’re the one Kahlan chose, the one she married.”

“Chase, she never told me about the engagement,” he snapped. “I had to find out about it when Tristan suddenly showed up at the People’s Palace. He came to persuade Kahlan to return to Aydindril with him because he had discovered that someone was plotting to overthrow the city. He hoped that the Mother Confessor’s return would help settle the tension in the city. Unfortunately, it turned out to be bigger than any of us could have guessed.”

“She probably never told you because it meant nothing to her,” Chase tried again.

“She left for Aydindril with him, Chase,” Richard hissed. “She left me behind to go to Aydindril with Tristan. How am I supposed to accept something like that?”

“Why didn’t you go with her?”

Richard’s scowl deepened, his slumping shoulders belying the anger in his face. He moved to stand beside Chase, choosing rather to stare out the window into the darkness of the night instead of having to face his friend.

“I…I didn’t think she wanted me anymore,” he softly admitted.

Chase studied him for a long moment before he finally spoke again. “What happened, Richard? What did you do?”

Richard released a ragged breath before continuing. “It’s a long story, but I had pushed her away,” he confessed. “Some horrible things had happened, things that I couldn’t control or prevent and it changed me. I lost my way for a time, pushed Kahlan and everyone else away because I felt like I didn’t deserve her anymore, didn’t deserve to be the Seeker. I hurt her deeply, Chase.

“And then I was captured by a seer named Sangria who was bent on revenge. She lured Kahlan to come rescue me. When Kahlan came, she cut her and hit her…tortured her. I didn’t find out until after, but Kahlan had lost our baby because of it and it pushed us even further apart. I blamed her for coming to rescue me, for losing our baby. I wasn’t there for her when she needed me the most. I withdrew even further into myself.

“Then when we finally escaped and returned to the People’s Palace, I found Tristan Kabay there waiting to steal Kahlan away from me and I…I just let her go. Didn’t even put up a fight. I just let her walk right out of my life without a single word. I felt like I had lost my whole world.”

Chase frowned as he processed everything that Richard had been telling him, feeling horrible for the terrible things that he’d had to endure. “Something had to have happened to have caused you come to Aydindril then.”

“Nicci and Zedd finally knocked some sense into me, made me realize that I needed to regain control over my emotions instead of letting them rule over me,” he continued. “I had spiraled so deep into an abyss of pain and guilt and regret that I thought I’d never pull myself out of it again. I thought that I had lost the only woman I have ever loved along with my children, fearing that I never get them back.

“I knew that I needed to come to Aydindril and fight for Kahlan. I couldn’t survive without her. At the same time, Zedd had discovered a prophecy that involved Kahlan, our children, and me. It spoke of a storm blowing in from the north and descending like a plague to destroy the bonded gifted.”

“Kao C’Id,” Chase filled in for him.

“Yes,” Richard nodded his head. “Zedd and I raced to Aydindril to stop whatever storm was coming, knowing it was probably tied to whatever Tristan and Kahlan were encountering here. It turned out to be Kao.”

“Have you been able to talk to Kahlan at all about any of this before all of this happened?”

“Some, but not much,” the Seeker said, staring out into the darkness as he thought about his wife, how much he missed her…loved her. “Tristan definitely wants Kahlan back, but she told him that she wanted to try to work things out with me.”

Chase’s frown turned into a smile as he clapped Richard on the back. “Well, there you go, my friend,” he replied. “Kahlan chose you…again.”

“But what if I never get the chance to make it right, to tell her how sorry I am and how much I truly love her?”

“You will get that chance, Richard,” Chase told him as he stood to his feet. “We won’t give up until she’s safe again.”

“Thank you, Chase,” Richard murmured. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you here in Aydindril.”

Just then, Rachel and Tristan entered the room, grim expressions on their faces. “What did you find out?” Richard asked.

“We were able to find most of the First File or at least the ones who hadn’t been killed already by Kao’s men,” Rachel replied as she closed the door behind them. “I told Captain Tobias to keep his men and the Mord’Sith well hidden for now on the south end of the city near the stables until we’re ready for them. He’ll wait for your orders there.”

“Good,” the Seeker nodded, his lips pursed into a grim line. “We just have to figure out a way to get inside the Confessor’s Palace now.”

“I know all the secret entrances,” Tristan informed them. “I practically grew up there with Kahlan. I know how to get us in undetected.”

Richard instantly stiffened with his words, but nodded in agreement nonetheless. Despite how Richard felt about him, they would need Tristan’s knowledge of the layout of the Confessor’s Palace if they were going to be able to find a way in and to get Kahlan away where she’d finally be safe.

After that, Kao C’Id was all his.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 29

Tristan sleepily rolled over onto his other side, restless sleep interrupted by constant worries about Kahlan and what was happening to her at that moment. Though he knew they would never be together, she would forever be his friend and nothing was going to ever change that. 

With a sigh of frustration, he finally opened his eyes bleary with sleep to find Rachel lying on the narrow bed beside him, sounds asleep. He was more than thankful that his friend Isaiah had agreed to take them all in, allowing them to regroup and plot out their next step in saving Kahlan and taking back Aydindril.

He had given them the back couple of rooms of his home to use as they needed, leaving them to their plans only to reappear at times with food and water. It suddenly felt odd to be homeless like this, having nowhere to go and no place to call home while in Aydindril.

Right now, his quarters that he always used at the Confessor’s Palace when he was in Aydindril on business was under the control of the wicked Kao C’Id. And now he had Kahlan as well. It caused his stomach to roil with sick dread.

He watched as Rachel rolled over onto her side in her sleep, murmuring something in her sleep, her beautiful face now in front of him. He studied for several long moments, noticing the smoothness of her skin, the delicate beauty that she possessed. He wondered why hadn’t noticed it until now, knowing deep down that he’d been too consumed with winning Kahlan’s heart when it already belonged to someone else.

Now, he was suddenly seeing this woman before him in a whole new light, one that he found to be very enticing. He was somewhat startled by this sudden change of heart that he was experiencing. It felt like it had come out of nowhere and yet Rachel had been here all along, ever since coming to the People’s Palace in search of Kahlan a few weeks ago.

He’d been so busy trying to gain Kahlan’s help in the fight for Aydindril as well as stealing her heart that he hadn’t even noticed that someone just as beautiful in their own right had been there right under his nose all along.

It was a startling realization that rattled him more than he would have thought. He could have sworn that his heart had belonged to Kahlan all along, but knowing now he’d been more in love with a dream that he’d clung desperately to for years seemed to set things in proper perspective for him.

He suddenly found that he was finally ready to let go of Kahlan as well as the dream he’d been holding on to, anxious for a new one with a woman who could truly love him in return. And he was beginning to think that he may have found it in Rachel.

He watched as her long eyelashes brushed softly against the delicate curve of her cheekbones, the adorable way her nose occasionally crinkled up slightly in her sleep, the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Her blond hair reminded him of the sun’s golden rays, making him more than anxious to see what it would be like free from her long braid.

Despite her lithe frame, she held such strength and at the same time such femininity. He found himself wanting to know more about her, where she was from and if she had any family. He wanted to know what she liked and what made her angry, what made her laugh and what her favorite color was.

He suddenly found himself wanting to reach out to caress her cheek, to touch her lips that looked so soft that he almost ached to taste them. He wanted to run his fingers through her golden locks and show her what real love could be like.

Rachel’s eyes slowly flickered open, finding the handsome Tristan Kabay intently staring at her. In that moment, it felt like time had come to a screeching halt as they lost themselves in each other’s eyes, blue swimming in blue and suddenly wanting to drown in them.

She felt an unexpected shiver race up her spine, a nervous flutter erupting in the pit of her stomach taking her by surprise. She’d never experienced anything like it before and wasn’t quite sure what to do about it. She didn’t like how vulnerable it made her feel, so exposed and flustered and confused.

She felt a warm flush rise to her cheeks as she stared at the striking face that was gazing back at her, finding herself drawn to him in a way that made her feel off balanced. She found herself wanting to kiss him, to reach out and touch him.

After several long moments, Tristan finally broke the silence. “You couldn’t sleep either?”

“No,” Rachel softly replied, struggling to find her voice. “I can’t stop worrying about Kahlan.”

“I know…me too,” he admitted, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the small bed. “I’m really worried about her.”

“I know,” she agreed as she sat up on the edge of her bed as well, finding herself directly in front of Tristan, their knees brushing against each other’s. “I just hope we can get to her in time.” 

“I can only imagine what Richard must be going through right now, knowing Kahlan is in the hands of Kao C’Id.”

“I feel so horrible for him,” she confessed, suddenly finding a thread that had pulled free on the blanket on her bed very interesting. “He and Kahlan have been through so much heartache already…far more than their fair share. I wish they could finally have some peace for once.”

“You really care about them,” Tristan observed as he studied her.

“I do,” she nodded thoughtfully. “They’re like my family.”

“Where is your family, Rachel?” he asked, wanting to know everything about her.

Hooking a stray blond strand of hair that fallen free from her braid behind her ear, Rachel grew very quiet for several moments before finally responding. “They’re gone,” she murmured. “When the Mord’Sith came to my village looking for little girls to take to train, they killed my parents and took me away along with Cara and several other girls.”

Feeling great sorrow for her, he automatically reached out and told hold of her hand, squeezing it tenderly. “Rachel, I…I’m so sorry,” he told her, his heart hurting for the things that she had been forced to endure.

Rachel bit her bottom lip, her blue eyes rising to meet his. The compassion and regret swimming in his gaze nearly stole her breath away. “Thank you,” she whispered, the feel of his hand holding hers sending sparks of electricity up her arm.

He gently caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, his eyes never leaving hers. “So you have no one…not even a sibling somewhere?”

Rachel shook her head, a sudden wash of loneliness sweeping through her. She tried not to think about it very much, forcing it back to the deepest recesses of her heart and mind and throwing herself into her duties as protector to Kahlan and the children. 

It had helped eased a measure of the ache of loneliness that she always carried with her, but talking about it now had brought it all rushing back to the surface with a fierce vengeance that nearly overwhelmed her.

“No…no one,” she said, drawing a ragged breath to tame her suddenly volatile emotions. “It’s just me.”

“Rachel…” Tristan murmured, instinctively leaning forward, his hand coming to rest against her cheek in a desperate need to comfort her.

Rachel looked into his eyes, stunned by the sudden feel of his hand against her face, his nearness making her head spin. His mouth was so very close, the distance between them gradually diminishing. It caused her breath to catch in her throat, his nearness causing her heart to hammer. His breath was warm against her face, her pulse racing as his lips brushed so softly…so tentatively against hers.

Tristan couldn’t believe he was kissing her and yet he couldn’t stop himself, didn’t want to stop. He repeatedly brushed his lips against hers, teasing them…testing them to see how she would respond, hoping for so much more.

Rachel leaned into the kiss, pressing her lips more firmly against his and responding with equal desire. Guilt swelled in her chest, knowing that Tristan was in love with Kahlan, that Kahlan was in horrible trouble and she was here kissing Tristan and yet she didn’t want it to end. She wanted more.

But then the sweet chaste kiss was over all too soon, her eyes flying open to find Tristan staring intently at her. She quickly pulled back, ashamed of what she had just allowed to happen between them, confusion clouding her thoughts. 

“I’m sorry,” she murmured awkwardly, swiftly getting to her feet.

Tristan immediately stood up as well, grabbing hold of her hand to keep her from walking away from him. “Rachel…wait,” he told her.

“Tristan, I…I can’t…” she shook her head, steeling herself against what her heart wanted as she hardened her gaze. “I…I need to check on Lord Rahl. We should be leaving soon.”

His heart sank as Rachel quickly exited the room, closing the door behind her. He sank back down on the bed, leaning forward and holding his head in his hands. That kiss he’d just shared with her had been so right in every way, causing his heart to soar in a way that it hadn’t in a long time.

Now, he just had to convince her that what he felt for her was real.

XXX

Chase woke up with a yawn, frowning as he fought to clear the cobwebs from his brain. Scanning the sparsely decorated room, he finally remembered where he was at and what was happening. Looking up, he noticed Richard standing with his back to him with his arms crossed, staring out the window into the still night.

He was in the exact same position that he had been when Chase had first gone to sleep several hours ago. “Staring out that window won’t bring her back you know.”

Richard didn’t turn around or respond to him, his shoulders seeming to stiffen with his friend’s words. Chase sighed as he sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He rubbed his face with his hands, searching for the words that would help his friend and knowing deep down that there weren’t any.

“You need to get some sleep, Richard,” Chase chided him. “You won’t do Kahlan or Aydindril any good if you’re exhausted.”

“I can’t, Chase,” he stated, his back still turned to the boundary guard as he spoke. “I can’t sleep knowing that Kahlan is in that monster’s hands right now…going through…she’s…” The Seeker’s voice suddenly broke off with a choking gasp before continuing once more. “She’s waiting on me to come for her.”

Silence filled the room once again as Chase stared at Richard, wishing there was something he could do to make it better for him. From the things that he had told him last evening, he couldn’t begin to imagine the enormity of the heartache that he and Kahlan had been forced to endure the last several months.

The only bright spot in all of this for them had been the birth of his son Aiden, free of Kahlan’s confessor powers, keeping him safe from the wicked madness that accosted every male child born to a Confessor. It had been a blessing that no one could have anticipated. Unfortunately, the joy of that birth had been overshadowed by the horrible atrocities of everything else that had happened to them.

“It will be light soon,” Chase commented as he came to stand beside Richard to peer out the window. “We should get moving. The sun will be coming up soon.”

“Kahlan always loved to watch the sunrise,” Richard absentmindedly said, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “She would always ask to take the last watch when we were trying to stop Darken Rahl and then when we were searching for the Stone of Tears. I always wondered why until I woke early one morning and found her sitting on a rock just watching as the sun began to rise over the horizon.

“She didn’t know I was watching her, but I’ll never forget the peaceful wonder on her face, the serenity that seemed to surround her as the sun’s rays washed over her. She just looked…so incredibly beautiful. I’ve never forgotten that moment even after all of this time.

“She had noticed me then, embarrassed that I had caught her in that moment like that. She admitted then that she loved watching the sunrise because it signaled the beginning of all things new, erasing the troubles and worries of the previous day, holding new and wondrous hopes for a better one.

“What if I never get another sunrise with her, Chase?”

“Richard, you are going to see her again,” he told him. 

“I hope so,” Richard sighed wearily. “I just want to get in there and get Kahlan out as soon as possible.”

“Do you like Tristan’s plan will work?”

“It better,” Richard ground out with sudden renewed anger. “We cannot fail or Kahlan will pay the price.”

“We’ll get her out of there, Richard,” Chase reassured him. “We can’t fail or everyone will pay the price. I’m afraid that Aydindril and the D’Haran Empire will only be the beginning of the coming storm.”

“I carry that same fear too,” the Seeker admitted. “It terrifies me to think of what Kao C’Id could be planning, how far reaching this could truly become if we don’t stop him now. He’s not going to stop until he gets everything he wants.”

Richard felt a shudder roll through him, one that refused to truly diminish leaving him with a chilling sense of dread that he just couldn’t shake. This was going to be the biggest nightmare that he’d ever encountered let alone being forced to do battle with.

Darken Rahl…the Keeper…he had a feeling that even they would pale mightily in comparison to the evil that Kao was planning to unleash on the world. 

How had he not seen this coming? How had he missed the stirrings of trouble that had been spreading like a virus through his very own Empire? He’d been so consumed with his own failings, his own heartache that he had been oblivious to anything else going on.

He suddenly wondered how Cara, Garren, and Nicci were doing at the People’s Palace, fearful of the trouble that they could be in the middle of right now. His insides twisted painfully with the thought, hoping they were alright.

He reminded himself that Commander Holland and Garren both knew what they were doing, had been battle-tested and could handle anything that was thrown at them. Nicci was the most powerful sorceress alive and Cara was a highly skilled Mord’Sith who would never stop no matter what it took. He knew they’d be fine, do whatever it took to protect the People’s Palace at all cost. 

He still wanted to get into the Confessor’s Palace and send them a message, to let them know what was going on and make sure that they were safe. Thoughts of the People’s Palace under attack as well made his chest constrict. It suddenly felt as if the whole world was falling apart all around him, crumbling and slipping through his fingers faster than he could contain it.

Chase put a hand on Richard’s shoulder, forcing him to back away from that horrifying abyss that he was teetering dangerously close to, the one that he had nearly drowned in. Richard turned to look at his friend, bracing his heart with what he knew they were going to have to do now, what they were about to face.

“When we get in there, Kao is mine,” Richard informed him, a gleam of rage in his dark brown eyes.

XXX

“Report!” Holland demanded over the sounds of fighting in the background, grim lines set in his handsome face.

“There’s a large army headed this way from the south, sir,” the Captain reported. “They’ll be here by tomorrow at this rate, possibly even sooner.”

“Secure the Palace,” Holland ordered. “No one gets in or out…no one!”

“Aye, sir,” the man agreed, a fist to his heart in acknowledgement of his orders.

“What’s the report on outbreaks in the city?”

“This one here is the first since last night’s outbreak,” Captain Scotts replied. “There men have been taken into custody and are being taken to the dungeons.”

Holland grimly nodded his head, lost in his thoughts about what was happening, wondering how Lord Rahl and Kahlan were handling the trouble in Aydindril. Things were rapidly escalating here, forcing them to double and triple security. He could only imagine how much worse things in Aydindril were if Kao C’Id was truly there now.

“I want frequent updates,” Holland informed him, his hand on his sword. “Let me know immediately if there are any changes.”

“Aye, Commander,” Scotts nodded his head.

“Holland!”

The Commander turned to find Cara and Garren heading towards them, foreboding expressions on both of their faces. Whatever they were coming to tell him, it wasn’t going to be anything good. “Do I even want to know what’s happened now?”

“We just stopped a couple of men who were trying to infiltrate the Palace itself,” Garren scowled. “They were armed to the teeth. The guards were able to capture them before they got very far.”

“Do you think it was just a distraction for something bigger?” Holland frowned with the news.

“I don’t know, but things are definitely escalating around here,” Garren shook his head, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.

“Where are they now?” Commander Holland asked.

“Nicci is with them, trying to find out what they know,” Cara interjected. “Hopefully, she’ll be able to get more information about what this Kao C’Id is planning.”

“I have a feeling we already know what Kao’s plans are,” Garren snorted, his fury more than apparent.

“I just can’t believe this is really happening,” Holland muttered, lost in his troubled thoughts. “Lord Rahl entrusts us with protecting the People’s Palace only to fall under attack. This is madness.”

“I know, but we need to do everything we can to make sure he does not take the People’s Palace,” Garren insisted. 

“Agreed,” Holland nodded. “I’ve already ordered Captain Scotts to seal the Palace. No one is getting in or out until we say so.”

“Good,” Garren agreed. “We’re going to have to tighten patrols.”

“I wish Richard and Kahlan were here so we could protect them,” Cara bit out, fighting back her own fears.

“They have Zedd, some of the First File, and Mord’Sith with them,” Garren reminded her. “Not to mention, they have the whole Aydindril army to protect them.”

“Does Nicci have that message ready to send to Lord Rahl in the Journey book?” Holland questioned them.

“Yes, I think she’s got it ready,” Cara informed them, her lips pursed tightly in frustration. “We just need to get it written so we can let Richard know what’s going on here.”

“And hopefully find out what’s happening in Aydindril,” Holland added.

“Let’s just hope that he’ll be able to get to it,” Garren frowned, raking his fingers back through his long wavy black hair. 

“You think Kao could’ve taken Aydindril already?” Cara demanded to know, her anger swelling with the thought of not being there for her friends.

“Right now, I don’t know what to think about any of it, Cara,” Garren bleakly replied with a heavy sigh.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 30

Kahlan groaned as she lingered in that foggy state between sleep and wakefulness, dozing off every so often only to be brought awake by a shiver of cold or the sharp pain that continually lanced through her arms. 

She fought back against the overwhelming tears that burned behind her eyes, knowing that it wouldn’t solve anything to lose it now. Not to mention, she was not about to give that barbarian Kao C’Id the satisfaction.

She struggled to open her eyes but couldn’t, exhaustion and pain wracking her entire body. Her shoulder joints burned like fire and yet her arms felt so cold, her hands numb and tingling. She didn’t know how much longer she could take this, but she wasn’t about to give up. Kao C’Id could not be allowed to win no matter what.

She knew in her heart that Richard would not stop until he had gotten to her, nothing would get in his way or keep him from getting to her and yet she couldn’t help but feel that they had finally met an enemy that they might not be able to defeat.

Despite how exhausted she was, Kahlan attempted to force her mind to focus, to try to stay sharp. She was going to have to do everything in her power to find a way to escape this and stop Kao. She had to give Richard the best chance possible in order to keep Kao from taking over the Empire.

She needed to get free from these chains, try to find the key to the Rada’Han they had placed around her neck. After that, Kao C’Id would be hers. There would be no escaping her then, her Confessor’s magic taking his soul and making him hers forever.

He would never be able to hurt anyone ever again, would never be able to lay a hand on Richard or her children. She had to escape her chains and put an end to this before Kao could hurt Richard. She was just thankful that Zedd and Frederick were with her children, safely hidden in the very depths of the Palace where no one could find them. It was the only thing that kept her going right now.

Kahlan was suddenly pulled from her thoughts by the unexpected feel of rough hands running over her body, bile instantly burning the back of her throat. This couldn’t be happening, it just couldn’t be…no, not here…not again. Spirits, please…no.

Memories of Darken Rahl’s attempted rape rushed to the surface, repulsive memories that she thought she had banished to the deepest darkest recesses of her mind. It was all suddenly coming back with a horrifying fury, reminding her of what she had almost been forced to endure.

Richard had thankfully arrived at the very last moment, saving her from a terrifying nightmare that she had no idea how she would’ve been able to reconcile in her mind. She had a dreadful feeling that her husband wasn’t going to be able to get to her in time to stop it this time around. She was going to have to figure a way out of it on her own or suffer being violated at the hands of this vile monster.

“Why don’t you unchain me so we can do this right?” she finally managed to get out, doing her best to keep her steadily growing panic out of her voice.

A low chuckle filled her ears as hot breath suddenly assaulted her throat, lips unexpectedly against her ear. “You’d like that wouldn’t you, Confessor?”

The voice was not that of Kao C’Id. It was someone else. Her heart instantly set a thunderous pace as her eyes flew open in stunned disbelief, immediately flashing with hated and disdain for the vile excuse for a man standing before her now.

It was the man who had attacked them in the tavern, the one who had brought her here to Kao C’Id.

A grin slowly spread across his face as horror flared in her eyes. “Expecting someone else?” Theon leered at her, his tongue sneaking out to taste her skin behind her ear.

Kahlan suppressed a sickened shiver that rattled her to her very core, wishing more than anything that Richard was here. Everything inside of her wanted to get away from this monster, to break his neck for even thinking of touching her in such a perverse way. She was the Mother Confessor, the Lady Rahl of D’Hara. Anyone ever touching her in such a way meant immediate death by confession.

Except that she couldn’t confess him, couldn’t release her power that was now suppressed by the magic circle of cold steel that surrounded her throat. Right now, she was defenseless against them.

“I will kill you,” Kahlan hissed, refusing to allow him to see her panic.

Theon chuckled with her threat, her spirited resistance only rousing his hot lust for her even more. “I love it when they fight,” he smirked, nuzzling her throat with his lips and nose. “Makes it more interesting…and a lot more exciting if you know what I mean. I always love a heavy dose of pain with my pleasure…I think you will too.”

“I promise you…you will not enjoy it,” she ground out, silently swearing to make it as hard on him as humanly possible.

“We’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?” Theon told her as his hand groped her breast and pinched her nipple hard, causing her to grind her teeth as she endured his filthy touch. “What do you say we have a little fun now?”

“Patience, Theon,” Kao’s voice unexpectedly filtered through the far end of the throne room as he entered to find his friend fondling his prized possession.

“Just admiring, Kao…just admiring,” Theon reassured him as he roughly grasped Kahlan’s backside, squeezing her hard and causing her to gasp before finally releasing her. 

Kahlan knew he’d left bruises already and he hadn’t even gotten started yet. She wanted to vomit, was desperate to scrub her skin raw to remove his filthy fingerprints from her body.

“I’ll bet you were just admiring,” Kao knowingly replied with a grin as he drew near. “Quite the reward wouldn’t you agree?”

“The finest I’ve seen in a very long time,” Theon hungrily answered with another caress of Kahlan’s body.

“Maybe we’ll have to find you one of your own,” Kao informed him.

“I doubt you can find me a whore as feisty and stunning as this creature here,” Theon continued to leer at her, licking his lips as he ran his fingers along her thigh.

“I will cut both of your throats,” Kahlan spat out, her rage nearly blinding as she glared at both men.

Theon reached out to run his hand down Kahlan’s side again, but was met with a fierce kick, her knee connecting with his face and causing his head to snap back. The beast of a man chuckled softly as he wiped the blood that began to trickle from his lip, a vicious sneer filling his face.

Theon’s hands balled into his fists as he glared at her, one fist swiftly connecting with her face and nearly knocking her unconscious. “I will make you pay for that, wench,” he growled.

Kao put a firm hand on Theon’s shoulder, keeping him from doing anything more to her. “Theon, leave her to me,” he ordered, his commanding voice leaving no room for argument. “Don’t worry; I’ll more than make her pay for her insolence. Before long, she’ll be begging me for more.”

Theon clenched his jaw, his dark eyes flashing with rage. “I want to watch when you take her.”

“Of course, my friend,” Kao grinned broadly, squeezing Theon’s shoulder in reassurance. “Maybe I can teach you a thing or two about being with such a gorgeous woman.”

Theon burst into laughter, his fury with the Mother Confessor suddenly forgotten. “Everything you know about seducing and pleasuring a woman was taught to you by me.”

“Well, when you see me with the fair Kahlan here, we’ll just see who taught who what when it comes to women,” Kao smirked confidently.

“Why don’t you unchain me and I’ll teach you both a little something about women?” Kahlan spat out, her eye already swelling shut from Theon’s fist.

It was Kao’s turn to approach her, a smug grin dancing on his lips. He studied her for a long moment, taking pleasure in what he saw. “I admire your fierce spirit, Lady Rahl,” he told her, trailing a single long finger down her chest and abdomen. “I can’t wait to experience that defiance first hand. Unfortunately, I have business I must attend to first. It seems your husband is still out there somewhere and I intend to find him.”

“Richard is going to kill you,” she hissed, undeterred by the fact that Kao was caressing her upper inner thigh. She would not show this man fear.

“Richard Rahl is nothing but a man with a fancy sword,” Kao laughed at her. “I will show him what a true warrior is and I’ll show you what it’s like to be with a real man.”

Kahlan unexpectedly grinned at him, her own lilting laughter filling the throne room. “I pity what Richard is going to do to you when he gets his hands on you.”

“We’ll just see about that, Kahlan,” he replied. “In the meantime, why don’t you tell me where your precious children are hiding? After I’m done playing with you, I think I might like to spend a little time with them as well.”

“You might as well kill me know because I will take that information to the Underworld with me,” she sneered. “You will never lay a hand on my children.”

Kao sighed as his hand caressed dangerously close to her womanhood, his dark eyes gleaming. “You’ll find that I have my own unique ways of making people talk…especially women,” he evenly stated, pulling his hand away. “Come, Theon. Let’s let the Mother Confessor dwell on that while we search for the Seeker. Besides, I need to see Ahti at once. We have to find a way into the Wizard’s Keep as soon as possible.”

Theon nodded his head in agreement, his own leering grin growing wickeder by the moment as he finally followed Kao from the throne room. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on her, to make her scream over and over again until she couldn’t scream any more.

He just hoped Kao would let him have the chance. If not, he might just have to take her anyways.

XXX

Frederick paced back and forth, patting a crying Ayden’s back and doing his best to soothe the feverish infant. His fever had unfortunately returned with a vengeance, causing them all to worry even more about the sick little boy than they already were.

“Shhh…it’s alright, little Ayden,” Frederick attempted to calm him. “Grandpa Zedd is trying to see what he can come up with for you.”

Ayden sniffled and whimpered, his breaths gasping and shuddering as he started another round of fierce crying. His little face was red and wet with so many tears, his body curled up against his grandfather’s chest.

“Anything yet, Zedd?” Frederick asked as he went into the back room. “He’s burning up.”

“Bags!” Zedd swore under his breath as he sorted through the bottles that Aggie had been able to find last night. “The one that I need most isn’t here.”

“Is there anything else you can do for him?” Frederick frowned, his worry growing.

“Here, let me try to use my magic again,” Zedd said, taking the baby into his arms. “I had hoped that my magic had been enough last night, but I’m afraid he might need more.”

“We can’t keep this up, Zedd,” Frederick shook his head, his hand coming to rest on the back of Ayden’s head. “I think we’re going to have to risk leaving this suite in order to get him the help he needs.”

“Don’t give up just yet,” Zedd calmly replied as he held the little boy, his fingertips pressed lightly to Ayden’s forehead. “This old Wizard isn’t out of tricks yet.”

Frederick watched as Zedd used his magic to help the sick baby, hoping against hope that it would be enough. If they had to leave here to get Ayden the help he needed, they could find themselves in worse trouble then they were already in.

“Mama,” Paige murmured as she toddled into the room, her brow furrowed. “Ayn…Ayn?”

Frederick leaned over and picked his granddaughter up, holding her close. “Your little brother will be fine, Princess,” he told her, kissing her on the cheek. “And your mama is a real fighter. There is nothing that she can’t overcome. She’ll be here for you before you know it.”

Paige put her small hand on Frederick’s cheek, tilting her head in curiosity as she looked at him. “Dada?”

“He’s strong too,” Frederick reassured her. “He’ll be here too to play with his favorite little girls.”

Just then, Priya followed her sister into the room. “Num? Num?” she jabbered.

“Are you hungry, little one?” Frederick asked her, smiling down at the little girl who looked so much like her father. “How about we go find Aggie and see what’s for breakfast?”

Taking Priya’s hand in his, Frederick led her from the back room and into the small kitchenette to find Aggie already working away at making something for them all to eat. “How are my two favorite little Confessors?”

“Hungry as ever,” Frederick announced.

“How’s Ayden?” Aggie asked, worry filling her eyes.

“Zedd is using his magic to see what he can do for him,” he sighed wearily. “I just hope it’s enough.”

“Zedd is a very powerful Wizard…a Wizard of the First Order,” Aggie informed him. “There isn’t much he can’t do.”

“I heard that, Aggie,” Zedd grinned as he entered with a sleeping Ayden cradled in his arms. “You actually gave me a sincere compliment. I shall never forget that.”

“It wasn’t a compliment, Wizard,” Aggie glared at him in mock annoyance. “Just stating facts. There was no compliment in there anywhere.”

“Whatever you say,” Zedd just smirked at her as he settled into a chair, Katrina entering as well.

“You finally got him back to sleep,” Katrina said with great relief, taking the sleeping baby from Zedd’s arms. “I didn’t think the poor little thing was ever going to be able to get back to sleep.”

“Hopefully, this time I was able to bind the sickness to keep it from getting any worse,” Zedd informed them.

Though he tried to sound confident, Frederick thought he detected some uncertainty in his voice. He tried to ignore it, choosing rather to hold onto hope that Zedd’s magic would do the trick in helping Ayden feel better.

If not, he feared to think of what could happen.

XXX

Richard watched as Tristan and Rachel turned down an underground tunnel beneath the Confessor’s Palace, silently lifting a pray to the good spirits that this plan would work. The thought of losing Kahlan nearly stopped his heart from beating altogether.

They were only going to get one shot at this, one chance at saving Kahlan so they were going to have to do this perfectly or Kahlan as well as the rest of them would be as good as dead. There would be no end to Kao C’Id’s tyranny if they didn’t stop him now.

“Are you sure that Tristan is really in love with Kahlan?” Chase suddenly asked as they made their way through the dimly lit tunnels.

“Yes, I’m more than sure,” Richard snorted with obvious derision in his voice. “Why do you ask?”

“Because with the way Tristan’s looking at Rachel, I’d say that he had eyes for her,” Chase informed him.

“Really?” Richard frowned, his heart unexpectedly feeling a little lighter than it had in long time as he thought back over the last couple of days.

“There’s definitely something brewing there, my friend,” Chase replied, giving the Seeker a reassuring grin. “I think you won’t have to worry anymore about him trying to lure Kahlan away from you.”

Richard released a sigh, thankful that at least one of his greatest fears had been laid to rest. Now, he only had to save his wife, stop a tyrant, and then work on saving his marriage. He just hoped he wasn’t too late for any of it.

Glancing at his friend, Chase could tell that there was still something going on in his friend’s mind, something that was eating away at him. He could tell by the tense set of his shoulders, the rigidity that had settled into his jaw and the anger that continually flashed in his dark brown eyes. There was more going on than just Kahlan’s current dangerous predicament.

“What is it, Richard?” he questioned him. “I can tell there’s something else that you’re not telling me…something that’s been eating away at you.”

“Is it that obvious?” Richard muttered in annoyance, avoiding making eye contact with him.

“I always could read you like a book,” Chase smugly replied. “What haven’t you told me yet?”

“Haven’t I told you enough about my misery already?” he scowled. “It’s humiliating enough to tell you how much I’ve failed over the last few weeks without adding even more to it.”

Chase shook his head with a grin as they turned down a side tunnel. “You always did manage to find trouble before it ever found you,” he reminded him. “Now spill it, Richard. It’ll make you feel better.”

“I highly doubt that,” Richard bit out before finally releasing a heavy sigh of reluctance. “I…I kissed Nicci.”

“Who’s Nicci?” Chase frowned, stunned by the admission.

“I just told you I kissed another woman and that’s the only thing you have to say?” Richard glared at him.

“I’ll get to that later,” Chase said, his eyes continually scanning the area for signs of impending trouble. “Now who is Nicci?”

“Sister Nicci, a former Sister of the Dark,” Richard explained. “She’s the most powerful sorceress in the territories as well as the Old World. She is on our side now, a good friend of ours.”

“Sounds like more than a good friend. Does Kahlan know?”

“No,” Richard bluntly stated, “but I have to tell her when this is all over. I didn’t mean to do it, but I was just so desperate to forget the pain for even a little bit. I was drunk at the time and…”

Richard was interrupted by the sudden deep rolling chuckle of his friend. He glared hotly at him, angered by the boundary guard’s reaction. “I’m sorry,” Chase held up an apologetic hand as he fought back his amusement. “I didn’t mean to laugh, but you have never been able to hold your alcohol, Richard. Never. It’s no wonder you did something so stupid as kissing another woman.”

The Seeker glowered at him, knowing the truth of his words and yet it only served to irritate him all the more. Chase had always been like an older brother to him, even more so than Michael had ever been. He and Michael had been too different, Michael too consumed with other things to ever truly appreciate the bond of brotherhood they had shared when they were younger.

“It was stupid and I can only hope that Kahlan will forgive me,” Richard ground out. “I’m scared that she won’t be able to get past it. I think there’s always been a tiny part of her that has been worried about Nicci and me.”

“Why would she be?”

“In the beginning before Nicci saw the error of her ways and joined our side, she was in love with me, kidnapped me and tried to force me to love her instead of Kahlan,” he clarified. “Nicci ended up sending her back in time while Kahlan was pregnant with our twin daughters in an effort to get rid of her.”

“Well, I can see how that would give Kahlan definite reason to worry.”

“But Nicci finally saw that I loved Kahlan and could never love anyone else,” Richard shook his head as he thought back on it. “She has been nothing more than a good friend and that’s all that she’ll ever be to me. I made a stupid mistake. I just pray that Kahlan will see that too and forgive me.”

“I’m sure she will, Richard,” Chase attempted to reassure him. “Kahlan loves you Richard. She’s not going to just turn her back on you or throw away everything that you two have built together over a drunken mistake.”

“I hope so,” Richard sighed, raking his fingers back through his hair. “Chase, if I don’t get her back…”

“Don’t think like that, Richard,” Chase’s firm gruff voice broke through the Seeker’s anguish-filled thoughts. “We’re not leaving here without here.”

“I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you,” he admitted, adjusting his grip on the hilt of his sword.

“We’ll have to catch up once we get this Kao C’Id out of your home,” Chase agreed.

“You and Emma and the children should come to the People’s Palace for a visit,” he suggested.

“May have to take you up on that offer,” he nodded his head. “Emma’s been bugging me forever to take her to D’Hara to see you, Kahlan, and the children.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Richard’s lips as he thought of Emma. It felt like an eternity since he’d last seen her and the children. “Let’s get through this first,” he replied. “I won’t rest until Kahlan is back with me where she belongs.”

“Do you think there could be anyone left in the Confessor’s Palace who could help us?”

“I don’t know for certain, but Edmund might still be here somewhere if he’s not dead already,” Richard bitterly stated. “Edmund is next in command under the Mother Confessor. He’s smart and knows this place inside and out. There’s a chance that he could be here some place waiting for an opportunity to do something.”

“Hopefully, he’ll be able to help us or maybe he can get to Kahlan.”

XXX

Making their way through the secret corridors of the Palace, Cyrus followed Edmund wondering where exactly they were going. They needed to find a way to stop Kao C’Id, to get the Confessor’s Palace back under their control again.

“Edmund,” Cyrus softly hissed. “Where are we going?”

“Trying to figure out where Kao is setting up his command post,” Edmund whispered.

“Why?”

“So we can eventually attack once we have more back up,” Edmund explained.

“We have to try to get word out to Richard and Kahlan that we’re in here,” Cyrus said, his eyes burning with fatigue.

They’d been up most the night, gathering as many weapons as possible as well as food and supplies. They’d managed to store up a nice little pile of provisions, keeping it safely hidden in an alcove that they had set up as their own secret base.

They had stayed there for a while last night, sleeping for a couple of hours before deciding it best to start off again before the sun rose. With no windows, they had been forced to use their best judgment. They actually had no idea right now if it was morning, noon, or night.

All they knew was they had to do something to stop this madness.

Pausing by a secret door, Edmund put his ear up against it, listening. After several moments, he pulled back, quickly holding a finger against his lips, silently warning Cyrus not to make a sound. He then pointed down the corridor, wanting Cyrus to follow him.

After several long minutes, Edmund finally came to a stop, his face pale as he turned to Cyrus. “I think they’re holding a bunch of people from the Palace hostage in the Confessor’s deliberation chambers.”

Cyrus pressed his back against the wall of the secret corridor, sagging some with the news. “Well, at least we know that Kao’s men didn’t kill everyone in the Palace.”

“Come on,” Edmund murmured. “We need to keep moving. Hopefully, we’ll find our opportunity to do something to put an end to all of this once and for all.”

Following behind his friend once more, they continued to make their way, pausing at different times to listen. Finally coming to another secret door, Edmund pressed his ear against the wood. Hearing nothing, he gently pushed on it, causing it to crack open slightly.

Peeking into the dimly lit Confessor’s throne room, Edmund’s breath suddenly caught in his chest at the sight of Kahlan chained by her wrists over her head next to the throne that she always used to occupy. She appeared to be alive, dressed only in her small underclothes and nothing more.

He could scarcely believe what he saw. She looked to be in very bad shape. He had to get her out of there right away before Kao could do anything more to her, needed to get her out here and to Richard before Kao killed her.

Just as he took a step out of the hidden corridor and into the throne room, he heard voices approaching.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 31

“Make sure all of the gates are secured and every single man available is on standby,” Commander Holland ordered. “I want the army ready to go at a moment’s notice. Got it?”

“Aye, Sir,” the Captain nodded his head, his fist to his chest in salute before turning away to follow the Commander’s orders.

“That army will be here by sundown at the rate they’re traveling,” Holland frowned as he turned towards Garren.

“Their army is large, but it’s still no match for our army or the People’s Palace itself,” Garren replied. “We can survive within the walls of this place for months if we have to.”

“Were you able to send a message to Lord Rahl in the Journey book?” Holland asked Nicci.

“Yes, I sent the message early this morning,” Nicci confirmed. “Hopefully, we’ll get a message back from Richard or Kahlan soon.”

“If they aren’t in trouble already themselves,” Garren stated with a heavy sigh.

“I hope they’re alright,” Nicci murmured, lost in worrisome thoughts about their friends.

“What are you thinking?” Holland asked, his brow knitting with mutual concern.

An ominous cloak of distress suddenly seemed to wrap around the sorceress as she stood between the two men. “I’m thinking that this is bigger than anything we can begin to imagine.”

“We already decided that, Nicci,” Garren shook his head in confusion. “What’s your point?”

“I think this is more enormous than anything we’ve ever encountered before or could even begin to fathom,” she explained.

“In what way?” Holland questioned her.

Nicci thought for a moment before responding, her blond hair whipping with the sudden gust of wind. The skirt of her dress snapped and billowed, her green eyes flashing with fear as well as anger. She presented a very daunting opponent, someone that no one would ever want to go up against.

“Zedd’s prophecy that he found spoke of a powerful storm that will blow in from the north like an unforeseen plague,” Nicci continued. “I have a terrible feeling that the interpretation might be a little more literal.”

“You mean he is going to try to create a real plague to destroy Richard and Kahlan?” Garren scowled with the thought.

“Could be…but I’m not sure,” Nicci pursed her lips in response as she tried to think it through. “I need to go study it again for myself. I think there is more to the prophecy than what Zedd and I had originally thought.”

“I thought Zedd took the book with the prophecy in it with him?” Garren pointed out.

“He did, but we were able to find some others that made reference to that same prophecy,” Nicci informed them. “I need to reread them again, see what I can come up with before it’s too late.”

Both men watched as Sister Nicci quickly walked away, disappearing into the Palace. “Why do I get the feeling that there’s something more that she’s not telling us,” Holland stated.

“And whatever it is, it’s not going to be anything good,” Garren grumbled, his fingers slipping around the hilt of his sword.

“Is it ever?” Holland snorted.

“Not when it comes to Richard and Kahlan Rahl,” Garren shook his head, wondering how their friends were holding up at that moment.

XXX

Hearing the sound of approaching voices, Edmund quickly ducked back inside the corridor, making sure the door closed firmly behind him. He didn’t want anyone to now that they were there until they were good and ready.

“What is it?” Cyrus whispered.

“Kao has Kahlan chained up like some animal by the throne,” Edmund scowled, rubbing his forehead. “It looks like she’s in pretty bad shape.”

“Well, let’s get her out of there then,” Cyrus stated, taking a step forward before a firm hand to the center of his chest stopped him in his tracks.

“We can’t just yet,” Edmund insisted. “Someone was coming into the throne room; it sounded like there were at least three of them.”

“I shudder to think what Kao plans to do to Kahlan,” Cyrus shook his head, a guilty flood of sorrow washing through him. “We have to get her away from him, Edmund. Kao is a monster like nothing I’ve ever seen before. There is no predicting what he’ll do to her. The man knows no depths to his wickedness. I saw it in his eyes.”

Edmund’s stomach sank into his boots with the gruesome thought. It was something that he definitely did not want to dwell on. Kahlan was like a daughter to him. The very idea of Kao being anywhere near her nearly made him vomit.

“Let’s see what Kao’s up to now,” Edmund suggested. “Maybe we can discover something to finally put an end to all of this.”

Pressing his ear against the wall, Edmund listened, hoping to gather some useful information. They desperately needed some sort of good fortune if they were going to stop Kao C’Id. They needed Richard Rahl.

The echo of laughter filled the throne room as Kao and Theon entered with a man that Kahlan had never seen before. He was shorter than the other two with long straight hair that was so blond that it was almost white. He wore it pulled back into a low ponytail, revealing his narrow face.

He had a sharp pointed nose with eyes the color of blood, his skin so pale it was almost translucent. He wore long white robes trimmed in gold that trailed behind him when he walked, giving him a ghostlike appearance. 

Kahlan could barely contain the shiver of terror that caused her insides to tremble violently at the sight of them drawing closer to her. She had a dreadful feeling that things were about to get much, much worse. As if having these two vile men touching her wasn’t bad enough to haunt her sleep for the next several weeks…if she even lived that long.

Things just continued to look bleaker by the moment, making her wonder if they would survive this. She missed Richard so much that it hurt worse than the physical pain that she was in, pain that was no doubt being inflicted by the magical steel around her throat.

“So rumors of her capture are true,” the strange looking man smiled appreciatively as he drew near, taking his time to slowly walk around her, studying her as if she was some sort of fascinating specimen that needed to be dissected.

It made her feel as if she was being filleted by his dark depraved gaze alone, carefully and deliberately pulling back each layer in order to get to her very soul. It was unnerving to say the least, but she refused to allow him to see her fear.

It also didn’t help that she was so sleep deprived she could hardly hold her head up. Every time she closed her eyes, Kao was there waiting for her, methodically stripping her of her sanity as he forced her to watch what he planned on doing to her and to those she cared about most.

She’d end up waking to the sounds of her very own crying screams or the pain that lanced through her body every time she even flinched. She knew the Rada’Han around her neck wasn’t just suppressing her powers. It was creating a steady wave of pain that coursed through her, prickly tendrils of powerful magic transmitting spikes of sharp searing pain every time she dared tried to move or even breathe in order to keep her exactly where they wanted her.

“Perfect…simply perfect,” the man murmured with obvious admiration lacing his voice. “And you’re positive that the Rada’Han is working properly?”

“Just like you spelled it to,” Kao grinned, folding his massive muscular arms across his equally muscular chest. “Move for us, Kahlan.”

Kahlan just glowered at him, remaining perfectly still. Theon suddenly closed the distance between them, reaching up and grabbing a fist full of her raven hair before roughly yanking her head back. “You better obey, wench, or I’m going to make sure that I get my chance with you whether Kao agrees to it or not,” he hissed low in her ear before turning her head and smashing his mouth against hers.

Kahlan squirmed and struggled to get away from him, but the more she tried to move the worse the pain became until hot tears began to leak from the corners of her eyes. She fought against the pain as she tried to kick at him, but he was prepared for her this time, grabbing her knee and twisting it until she cried out.

Theon finally pulled back, panting heavily as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Just wait,” he sneered with a smirk on his lips. “There’s going to be so much more for you to look forward to when I finally get my hands on you.”

Enraged, Kahlan spit in his face as she fought back the angry tears that refused to cease. Theon yelled in rage as he wiped the spittle from his chin, his hands balling into fists more than ready to unleash a bloody beating on her.

“How dare you, whore!” Theon bellowed, his fist connecting with Kahlan’s abdomen and knocking all the wind from her lungs.

“Theon!” Kao sharply yelled before Theon could hit her again, anger dancing in his eyes that were black as coal. “That’s enough. I’ll not have you handling my prize in such a way. She deserves better than that.”

“She deserves to be tamed,” Theon growled, his chest rising and falling with his fury, loathing the fact that a woman of all people had just insulted him in such a way.

Theon reared back his fist, ready to deliver another blow when Kao suddenly stepped between Kahlan and his friend. “Do not touch her,” Kao threatened with a low deadly tone.

Theon glared at Kahlan hanging behind Kao, her face pale and bruised, dried blood crusted on the side of her head. Tears continued to trickle down her cheeks, dripping from her chin and jaw. She was fighting back the vomit that had risen in the throat from the blow she had taken from the enormous man.

Every breath she drew now caused sharp knife-like pain in her side, telling her that Theon’s fist had just broken a couple of her ribs. It was making it difficult to even draw in air, forcing her to keep her breaths short and shallow in an effort to escape the horrific pain that pierced through her side.

Nothing that Sangria had done to her could compare to this, not even cutting her hair.

After glaring at one another for a long moment, Theon finally took a couple of steps back, standing down. “This isn’t over with her, Kao,” he spat out.

“It is done, Theon,” Kao’s voice thundered with authority. “Kahlan is mine until I say otherwise.”

Theon grumbled something indecipherable under his breath, his displeasure with Kao’s decision more than obvious. “Let’s get on with our plans before Richard Rahl shows up.”

Kao finally turned his attention to the man that had accompanied them to the throne room. “How long before we can get into the Wizard’s Keep, Ahti?”

Ahti slipped his hands into the opposite sleeves of his robes as he pondered the question, his forehead creased in thought. “So far I have been unable to get past the shields that have been erected,” he shook his head. “A Wizard of great power has made sure to keep anyone and everyone out.”

Theon snorted, his gaze momentarily shifting towards Kahlan before returning to the two men. “I thought you were supposed to be a powerful Wizard as well.”

“I am,” Ahti calmly stated, his red eyes beginning to glow as he stared at him with a cold glare that actually caused the large barbarian to internally wince. “Care to test me?”

Kao smirked as he saw Theon momentarily blanch with the question. “Enough you two,” he interjected. “We have enough to deal with without fighting amongst ourselves.”

Ahti turned his attention back to Kao. “While useful, it would be in your best interest to end her life sooner than later.”

“Why?” Kao frowned, reaching out to run his hand along Kahlan’s thigh, appreciating the smooth soft skin beneath his touch. “I was actually considering keeping her for myself; allow her to rule by my side.”

“She is very strong…powerful in her own right,” Ahti warned them. “The longer she lives, the greater the chance that she will turn on you and kill you given an opportunity.”

Kao smiled broadly, smug self-assurance permeating his features. “She has a Rada’Han around her throat, Ahti,” he grunted with satisfaction as he squeezed her backside. “There is nothing she can do to hurt me.”

“I am warning you, Kao,” Ahti tried again. “You underestimate her. She is the most powerful Mother Confessor since the first Confessor Magda Searus walked the earth. It would behoove you to respect that.”

“She is no threat as long as her powers are contained,” Kao shook his head. 

“I’m not just talking about her Confessor’s magic,” Ahti bit out, frustrated with Kao’s foolishness. Women had always been his biggest downfall…along with his overconfidence. “She is shrewd and highly skilled with the sword. She will find a way to kill you if you don’t kill her first.”

“She is no match for me,” Kao shrugged with indifference. “Now, we have bigger things to discuss than the alleged abilities of a mere woman.”

“She will be your downfall,” Ahti predicted with a sneer. 

“Kahlan is my decision,” Kao ground out. “She is mine to do with as I please.”

Ahti watched as Kao began to place soft kisses along the bare skin of Kahlan’s abdomen, noticing the way the Mother Confessor’s gaze flashed with hot rage the likes of which he’d never seen before. There was no denying the strength that she possessed. He could see it in her eyes despite the Rada’Han.

Kao kissed his way up her body, pausing to run his tongue over her skin, his hands tightly gripping her hips. Kahlan’s body tensed despite her best efforts to remain calm, the feel of Kao’s fingers digging into her flesh painful. His grip was bruising, the feel of his mouth on her body nauseating.

He finally pulled back when he reached her breasts, gazing up at her with a sinful lust-filled gaze that caused Kahlan’s breath to catch in her throat. She was nearly paralyzed with fear, unable to move a single fiber despite how badly she wanted to slam her knee into his groin at that moment.

No one…no man…had ever terrified her the way that this man did.

Kao C’Id was able to reach inside of her mind unlike anyone she’d ever known before, tangling himself up inside of her mind and touching a place deep inside of her that she never knew existed…and Kao had found it, feasting on her fears and twisting them into something horrifying that she couldn’t escape.

And what was worst was that Kao knew it.

“If you are done fondling the Mother Confessor, I think we best get to work before Richard Rahl shows up and beheads us all,” Ahti finally stated.

Kao gave Kahlan one last caress before finally releasing her. “Richard Rahl will not be an issue for much longer,” he spat out. “I will take care of him soon enough. In the meantime, we have bigger things to take care of.”

“I don’t know why we need to get inside the Wizard’s Keep,” Theon glared. “I thought you said that we had everything we needed to do this.”

“We do, but you have no idea the wealth of information and power that is sealed behind the walls of the Keep,” Ahti informed them. “Our control over this world would be absolute. No one would ever be able to stop us.”

Kahlan ground her teeth, fighting to keep her breathing under control but it was near impossible with the panic and fury flowing through her veins as she listened to them talk. She couldn’t let them get into the Wizard’s Keep, the secrets and powerful magic hidden deep inside too valuable to allow to fall into the wrong hands. 

She had to find a way to stop them no matter what it took…even if it meant her life.

XXX

Tristan and Rachel pushed deeper inside the underground caverns and tunnels that ran like a cobweb beneath the Confessor’s Palace. As hard as Tristan tried to keep his mind on the task at hand, he couldn’t help but think about the kiss that he had shared with Rachel just a few short hours ago.

The kiss had been chaste and sweet and far too short for his liking. Now, he found himself more than anxious to kiss her again, to talk to her and tell her how he was beginning to feel about her.

Glancing at her now, Rachel seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, her face a mixture of various emotions. He could see that she was conflicted and he hoped that it wasn’t about him or any feelings that she might be developing for him as well.

The thought of her falling in love with him as well made his heart stutter with joy despite the dire situation that they found themselves in now. He wanted to get Kahlan out of here and away from Kao as soon as possible. Then, hopefully, he could begin working on winning Rachel’s heart.

He just hoped that they got to Kahlan in time. He couldn’t bear to think of what she could be going through right now in the hands of Kao C’Id and his wicked men. He quickened his pace with the thought, desperate to get to her in time.

Rachel noticed his quickening steps, increasing her own to keep up with him. She could tell that he was extremely worried about Kahlan and she could hardly blame him. She was frightened for Kahlan, horrified to think of what she could be going through at that moment.

It also weighed her heart down knowing how much Tristan loved Kahlan. A first love like that rarely ever truly died. Even though she knew that Kahlan would never leave Lord Rahl for Tristan, she found that it actually hurt knowing that the King’s heart would always belong to another.

She didn’t know for sure how it had happened or when exactly, but she was falling for the King of Tashon.

She couldn’t help but think about that kiss that they had shared earlier. It had been wonderful to say the least, leaving her wanting more, but it had also left her feeling confused about where Tristan’s affections truly lay now.

It seemed as though he might feel something for her, but he seemed like he was still in love with Kahlan in spite of everything. His kiss had been nothing more than due to his fear for Kahlan, needing some sort of comfort.

Rachel suddenly found herself wishing that it was so much more than that, but right now she didn’t know what to think. At that moment, she just needed to focus on getting Kahlan back and stopping this monster who was trying to take over Aydindril.

“I can’t help but wonder how Zedd and Frederick are doing with the children,” Tristan finally broke the tense silence that had befallen them since separating from Chase and Richard.

“I know,” Rachel admitted with a grim nod of her head. “I hope they’ve managed to stay hidden.”

“Zedd put up a magical barrier to help conceal their location,” Tristan reminded her. “That should definitely help.”

“I wish we could somehow get word to them to let them know what’s going on,” Rachel replied. “I’m sure they’ve got to be beside themselves with worry by now.”

“It’s probably best that they don’t know what’s going on right now,” Tristan frowned. “If they knew that Kao had Kahlan, they would only end up worrying even more.”

Rachel released an uncharacteristic sigh, somewhat abnormal for a Mord’Sith. “I guess you’re right.”

Tristan glanced at the beautiful Mord’Sith, wanting to comfort her. “Rachel, it’ll be alright,” he reassured her. “We’ll get Kahlan out of here and put a stop to Kao C’Id before he can cause any more trouble.”

“I hope so,” she murmured, her heart heavy with worry for her Lord and Lady Rahl.

“Rachel…about earlier…” Tristan began, suddenly feeling very awkward and shy.

“It’s okay,” she shook her head and pursed her lips. “I know you didn’t mean to. It was just a mistake that we should forget about.”

Tristan’s brow furrowed, more than a little disappointed that she felt that way about what had happened. To him it was anything but a mistake and he had to make her see that as well. “Rachel…”

“We need to focus on getting Kahlan away from Kao C’Id,” she interrupted him. “That’s all that matters right now.”

“Yes, it is vital that we get Kahlan out of here and put an end to this madness that Kao has created, but that’s not all that is important to me, Rachel,” he told her.

Rachel ran her fingers over the thin chain of her agiel, mulling over his words. Was he really saying what she thought he was? She hated to allow herself to think such things and yet she couldn’t ignore the sudden surge of happiness that filtered through her with the thought.

“Rachel, I…” Tristan began again, wanting to tell her how he felt only to be brought to a sudden stop.

Rachel suddenly raised her hand, silencing him, her gaze growing fierce…all woman and yet all warrior. She pressed a single finger to her lips to silence him as they neared the hidden door that would lead them out of the tunnel and into the Confessor’s Palace itself. They could hear voices on the other end…several voices.

They were about to be in the fight of their lives.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 32

Richard and Chase exited the underground tunnels through a hidden door situated in the large pantry in the back of the kitchen of the Confessor’s Palace. They both paused, listening carefully to make sure that no one was there before proceeding on.

“Well, Tristan was right,” Chase muttered under his breath. “We entered where he told us we would.”

“Now, we just have to find Kahlan without getting captured ourselves,” Richard replied with a frown, using the blade of his sword to direct his friend. “We need to go that way. It will lead to the main section of the Palace.”

“And hopefully to Kao and Kahlan,” Chase grimaced.

He had yet to see the man for himself and already he was dreading the confrontation that was about to come. He knew they were going to be in for the fight of their lives, Kao and his men not going down easily.

“Let’s just hope that the First File will be there when we need them,” Chase mumbled as he followed the Seeker.

“Don’t worry about them,” Richard shook his head as he crept closer to the door of the pantry. “They are the best of the best. Nothing will keep them from getting in here…not even Kao C’Id.”

Stopping before the door, Richard slowly turned the knob, careful to not make a sound as he opened it. Peering around the corner, he was surprised to find that the main part of the kitchen was empty. They silently made their way through the enormous room, finding the majority of it had already been ransacked by Kao’s men.

Utensils and pots, flour and grain were strewn everywhere. Richard internally grimaced knowing that Aggie would have an absolute fit if she saw the state of her kitchen right now. His stomach churned as a couple of women that he knew from before who had worked in the kitchen lay dead in the corner, their blood smearing the floor, their cold pleading eyes staring up at him.

He felt horrible leaving them like that, but they couldn’t leave any evidence that someone had been through here. He wanted to keep the element of surprise for as long as humanly possible or it could cost Kahlan her life.

Tightening his hold on his weapon, Chase kept a close eye on their surroundings, ready to protect Richard and stop an ambush at all cost. He was expendable, the Lord Rahl was not…and neither was Kahlan.

Approaching the door that would lead them out of the kitchen, Chase checked to make sure his battle ax and daggers were ready for use. “Which way now?” he whispered.

“There are any number of places that they could be holding her,” Richard broodingly stated, his mind racing with thoughts about Kahlan and none of them good, all pushing him to brink of utter despair. “We should start at the…”

Before Richard could finish, a group of Kao’s men abruptly came around the corner at that moment. Without a single word, the barbarians charged towards Richard and Chase, not even bothering to ask questions. There was no surrender with these monsters…only death.

Richard readily threw himself into the battle without a second thought, knowing that his death would only seal Kahlan’s fate, leaving her in Kao’s hands to endure atrocities that he knew he dared not even think about it. It would not only steal his focus but his sanity as well.

With an arching swing and a growl of pure rage, the Seeker eliminated one man after another, trusting Chase to be able to do the same. It brought him a small measure of comfort having his friend from Westland here with him when he had needed him the most.

The sword sliced through the last man with deadly precision, dropping him in less than a heartbeat with the expert skill of the Seeker. The look of shock was still fixed on the man’s face as he stared blankly up at Richard who was battling to control the fury pumping through him.

Breathing heavily, Richard turned to find Chase already sheathing his battle ax, the floor littered with bodies. They both nodded silently to each other before continuing on, both more than aware that this had been the first of many more deadly battles to come before they got to Kahlan.

Blood dripped from the blade of Richard’s sword, leaving a crimson trail on the marble floor as they stealthily made their way through the corridor. Silent prayers were lifted with each step he took, a continuous mantra beseeching the good spirits to protect Kahlan, praying that he would be able to get to her in time.

He couldn’t help but wonder how their children were fairing at that moment as well. He missed them so much that it hurt. He was beyond desperate to finish this so he could be with his family again, could make things right with Kahlan, mending both of their broken hearts as well as their fractured marriage.

But he couldn’t do that if he didn’t find Kahlan in time to save her.

“This way,” Richard muttered under his breath to Chase, hoping that she would be somewhere near the Confessor’s council chambers.

It made the most sense for Kao to set up his command there. It was located in the center of the Palace. The only problem was where he was keeping Kahlan. He expected that he would want to keep her close at hand, someplace near him where he could make sure that she couldn’t escape or be able to hinder a rescue if necessary.

Hearing someone approach, Richard quickly pushed Chase back with a firm hand, forcing him into a shadowy alcove where they could remain hidden from view. The voices grew louder, accompanied by laughter and coarse language as one of Kao’s men described in great detail what he had done to one of the Palace servant girls before finally slitting her throat.

It inflamed Richard’s rage to hear the depravity of these men, the senseless slaughter of so many. It caused his fear for Kahlan to almost overwhelm him, nearly dragging him to his knees. These men were truly savages, sadistic in every sense of the word and completely lacking in any sense of humanity.

This was definitely unlike anything they’d ever faced before, Kao C’Id and his army the most violent they’d ever encountered since becoming the Seeker. There was no heart, only hate and murder, absolute devastation. Richard was not about to let them sweep through his Empire like the deadly plague that had been prophesied.

Two enormous men came around the corner, blood splattered on their clothes and faces, sticking to their long hair. It seemed almost natural to these men to have the blood of those they had slaughtered all over them, wearing it like it was a sick badge of honor.

“Where did Kao get these men?” Chase whispered. “They’re all huge.”

“I don’t know, but we’re about to find out what they know about Kahlan,” Richard ground out as he lunged like a deadly specter from the dark shadows, thrusting his sword deep into the throat of the first man and taking him completely by surprise.

The second man immediately went for his sword with snarl of fury, but Chase was already on him, delivering one powerful blow after another before finally pinning him to the floor with his own enormous size and weight. 

“You, my friend, are going to tell us everything we want to know,” Chase informed him.

A large sneer spread across the man’s face, his dark eyes gleaming with hatred. “I will tell you nothing so you might as well kill me now.”

“We’ll just see about that,” Chase said, hauling the man up onto his feet and dragging him to a nearby room with Richard following close behind.

Closing the door behind him, Richard was at Chase’s side in less than a heartbeat. “Where is my wife?”

The ferocious growl and deadly intent in Richard’s voice made the fine hairs on the back of Chase’s neck instantly bristle. This was definitely not the same young naïve wood’s guide that he used to know. Richard had matured, grown into a very good man and a powerful leader, one who had seen far too much of a world on the verge of being plunged into the very heart of wickedness far too many times to count.

He was in awe of his friend, amazed that he hadn’t lost his mind before now after all that he’d had to endure. He was positive that the things that Richard had told him so far barely even scratched the surface of what he’d been forced to live through since living Westland.

The man’s sneer quickly morphed into a derisive smirk as understanding suddenly lit his eyes. “Lord Rahl himself,” he spat out with great scorn. “You’re too late to save your Confessor. She’s dead.”

Richard began to tremble with the intense anguish that ripped through him like a bolt of lightning. “You lie!” he hissed as he drew closer to the man that Chase had pinned on top of a table, the blade of the Sword of Truth suddenly digging into the man’s chest.

The soldier began to chuckle, glancing down at the weapon that was pressed threateningly to his chest. “You think I lie?” he smirked. “Why don’t you go find what’s left of her body and then tell me if I’m lying?”

“Where is she?” Richard roared like a caged animal, the barely controlled rage about to boil over inside of him, his despair threatening to choke the breath from his lungs.

“I told you she’s dead,” the man mocked him, the Lord Rahl’s anguish more than obvious. “Kao killed her this morning…after teaching her a lesson or two of course.”

“That’s not true!” Richard seethed.

“I watched as he raped her over and over again, her screams filling the throne room,” the man continued to taunt, driving the Seeker further and further past the point of no return. “She was quite the prize. It’s a shame I didn’t get a chance at her before Kao gutted her.”

Richard was nearly blinded by the ferocity of his rage that seethed inside, the crushing waves of sorrow threatening to drown him. “NO!” he screamed, his sword plunging deep into the man’s chest without a second thought.

Releasing his grip on his sword, Richard’s knees buckled on him, forcing him to the ground in an utter sea of chaos. He found he wanted nothing more than to die in that dreadful moment of realization that Kahlan was no longer a part of his world. She was gone forever, never to see her again.

His vision began to tunnel, the edges growing black with unrelenting rage as hot angry tears began to leak from his eyes. He felt numb all over and yet he was in such sheer pain that it was crippling, stealing his ability to think, to breath.

“No…Kahlan, please…no,” he whispered, his entire body trembling.

“Richard!” Chase sharply called his name, grabbing him by the shoulders and hauling him onto his feet. “Richard, listen to me!”

Richard could barely contain his broken heart as he forced himself to look into the face of his friend. “I…I can’t lose her, Chase,” he managed to choke out.

“You don’t even know if it’s true, Richard,” Chase reminded him, tightly gripping his shoulders and shaking him gently to get his attention. “It could all just be a lie in order to get to you. You can’t give up now.”

Drawing a deep shuddering breath, Richard fought to rein in his emotions that were storming so violently out of control at that moment. Everything inside of him wanted to race through the Palace, killing anyone and everyone who got in his way, making Kao and his men pay.  
But he knew that he couldn’t lose hope that Kahlan was still alive, needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other for his children, for the people that he had sworn with his very life to protect.

“I will not stop until Kao C’Id’s blood is coating my blade,” Richard hissed with a deadly calm that made Chase pause for a moment.

“He said something about the throne room,” Chase pointed out, his brow knitted together in thought as he glanced at the dead man lying on the table. “We need to check there first, find out if she’s still there.”

“We have to find her right away,” Richard murmured, feeling as though his mind was locked in a fog of despair. He swallowed past the painful knot of anguish that had lodged in his throat, knowing he needed to hold it together for her. “I can’t go another moment without knowing that she’s still alive.”

Exiting the room, they quickly began to make their way through the Palace, his desperation to get to Kahlan nearly paralyzing him.

XXX

Sister Nicci hooked a blond lock of hair behind her ear as she leaned over another book laid out on the table. The dread that had settled in the pit of her stomach had only expanded since talking with Holland and Garren this morning.

There had been something wrong about this whole prophecy business that had been bugging her ever since Zedd showed it to her. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to put her finger on it, chalking the feeling up to the dreadfulness of the prophecy itself.

She didn’t know why, but something was terribly wrong. She hadn’t thought about it at the time, accepting what she and Zedd had found, but now she couldn’t help the growing nagging feeling that they had missed something vitally important.

“Could you use some help?”

Nicci looked up to see Cara standing in the doorway, her arms folded against her chest. The expression on the Mord’Sith’s face spoke volumes about what they all were feeling at that moment – utter and complete hopelessness.

“The more the merrier,” Nicci sighed as she nodded to a chair to her right.

Cara quickly slipped into the indicated chair, grabbing a couple of dusty ancient looking books. She was in desperate need of something to get her mind off of all the trouble that seemed to be pressing in on them from every side.

“Garren told me that you were worried about the prophecy,” Cara said.

“Some thing seems off,” Nicci replied, her lips pursing in frustration. “Something about this prophecy has been bothering me ever since Zedd told me about it.”

“Like the part about the whole world being destroyed, Richard and Kahlan being broken or the part about one of the twins turning evil?” Cara frowned as she brushed the dust off of the book before flipping through its pages.

The corners of Nicci’s lips curled slightly with the Mord’Sith’s question. “All of the above, but there’s something more to it that I’m worried we may have missed.”

“Like the translation?” Cara frowned.

“Yes, it could be,” Nicci slowly nodded her head as her finger skimmed down the page of the book in search of information that she greatly needed. “Or it could be that there is a piece of the prophecy that is still missing.”

“Great,” Cara scowled. “So there could be even more bad news coming.”

“You never know, Cara. It could be something good like a clue to putting a stop to all of this.”

Cara looked up from her book to stare at the former Sister of the Dark. “You can’t be serious,” she deadpanned. “We are talking about Richard and Kahlan here.”

“I know, but I can hope,” Nicci offered, her voice sounding anything but hopeful.

They sat in companionable silence for a long time, searching for any and all information that could possibly be linked to the prophecy. The sudden sharp gasp from Nicci caused Cara to abruptly look up at her friend.

“What is it?” Cara asked, panic instantly gripping her.

“Dear Spirits,” Nicci whispered, her eyes widening with horror. “How could I have been so stupid?”

“Nicci, what did you find?” Cara demanded a little louder.

“I had the prophecy backwards,” Nicci finally replied.

“Backwards?” Cara growled as she leapt to her feet to look over Nicci’s shoulder. “How so?”

“The beginning of the prophecy states ‘a powerful storm will blow in from the north, descending like an unforeseen plague to destroy the bonded gifted’,” Nicci began to explain.

“Yes, I remember that part from when Zedd told it to us before,” Cara nodded, wanting her to hurry up and get to the point. “Did you find something else out about that part?”

“I interpreted it wrong,” Nicci bit out, furious with herself. “In High D’Haran, the words are so similar that I thought it was ‘descending’. That wasn’t it at all. Kao is ‘unleashing’ an unforeseen plague.”

“Unleashing?” Cara murmured. “So you’re saying that Kao is truly unleashing a real plague?”

“It looks that way,” Nicci replied, releasing a long breath.

“What kind of plague could it be?”

“I shudder to think of it,” Nicci whispered, her face growing pale.

XXX

Kahlan stumbled as Kao jerked on the chain that was attached to her neck. As relieved as she was to no longer be hanging from the ceiling in the Confessor’s throne room, she knew she was in no better situation as Kao forced her to walk barefoot up the path to the Wizard’s Keep.

Barely clothed, she could hardly suppress the chill that shivered through her; drizzling rain falling from the skies making her even colder. Pain continually sliced through her like a thousand daggers, making her nauseated. She was bloody and bruised and in dire need of sleep, water and food.

“Keep up, my beautiful Queen,” Kao called over his shoulder to her. “There is still much that needs to be done before I can rule the Empire.”

“I will kill you,” Kahlan ground out, grinding her teeth against the pain that threatened to drop her to the ground, but she refused to give in.

Kao chuckled softly with her threat, not the least bit intimidated or alarmed. “So you have said,” he smirked, jerking on her chain again and causing her to fall to her knees, scraping up her skin even further as she came in contact with the stony path.

Theon paused, bending down and grabbing her by the hair on the back of her head. He wrenched her head back, forcing her to look at him. “Not so high and mighty now, are you Confessor?”

“When I’m done with Kao, I’m coming after you,” she seethed.

Theon backhanded her hard across the face, sending her sprawling on the ground and nearly knocking her unconscious. She couldn’t contain the cry of pain that tore from her throat, the magical device around her neck amplifying it beyond imagination.

“Get up, whore,” Theon growled at her.

“Theon,” Kao reproached him with growing anger. “You touch her again, I will kill you myself.” 

“So you would choose this wench over your own friend that you’ve known your whole life?” Theon sneered at him.

“If I must,” Kao maintained his deadly glare at his friend. “A woman like Kahlan Rahl comes along once in a lifetime. I can always make new friends.”

Theon fumed with rage, his jealousy swelling in his chest like a thunderhead. “You always did think more with your…”

“Enough!” Ahti intervened. “We need to get inside that Wizard’s Keep if we’re going to be able to proceed with our plans.”

Reaching down, Ahti grabbed hold of Kahlan’s arm, gently lifting her up to her feet. She quickly jerked her arm free from the wizard’s hold on her, thoughts of trying to get free starting to race through her mind. If she could just get the Rada’Han off of her neck, she could confess them all and finish this at last.

“Don’t even think about it, Confessor,” Ahti knowingly whispered into her ear as he leaned in close to her. “You will not escape your fate.”

“I will not stop until I have killed all three of you,” Kahlan threatened him. “If you don’t think I will find a way, then you underestimate me.”

Ahti stared at her for a long moment as Kao began to proceed up the path, the rain beginning to fall harder, causing her raven hair to stick to her bare pale skin. She truly was a magnificent creature; one that he had no doubt could be their ultimate downfall.

He was right; they should kill her now before it was too late.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 33

“Tristan!” Rachel yelled as her eyes filled with rage and mingled with panic. “Watch out! Behind you!”

The King of Tashon kicked the solider that he was fighting square in the gut, knocking him back hard into a nearby wall. Spinning at the last second, Tristan lifted his sword to block a blade aimed straight for his head, narrowly missing having it completely removed.

Their weapons clashed with a high-pitched shriek as each battled for control over the other. With a grunt, Tristan forcefully pushed back with all of his strength, causing the large man to stumble backwards and nearly trip over a fallen comrade on the floor behind him. Tristan swiftly advanced on him, thrusting his sword deep in his belly and finishing him off once and for all.

Breathing heavily, he turned in time to see Rachel slam her agiel into one of the last soldier’s throat. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as his knees buckled, effectively taking him to the ground. The Mord’Sith brushed her long flaxen braid back over her shoulder, placing her agiel on her belt before finally looking up to meet Tristan’s eyes.

His gaze was so intense it was startling, the look of something more…something akin to longing clouding his eyes. It made her shiver inside. A small voice told her how wrong it was to feel this way towards him, how she needed to smother these feelings.

Rachel averted her eyes when she finally spoke. “We need to keep moving.”

“Kahlan’s office is right down the hall and around the corner,” Tristan replied, walking towards her and taking her hand in his without a second thought as he began to lead her down the corridor.

It just felt right to be holding her hand like this, normal to want to keep her close to him and protect her at all cost. Being near her felt as natural as breathing was to him, completing him in a way that he’d never known. Even with as much as he loved Kahlan, it couldn’t quite compare to the peace and joy that inexplicably filled his soul when he was near this woman.

Rachel couldn’t help tightening her hold on his hand, enjoying the connection that it brought even though it was just a simple gesture on his part. She felt sparks shooting up her arm as his thumb brushed back and forth against the back of her hand as they rounded the corner, doing her best to keep her mind on the task at hand and not on the handsome king holding her hand.

As she tried to focus her mind on accomplishing their mission to stop Kao, her stomach was a nervous flutter of activity. She scowled as she silently berated herself for not having better control over her emotions and her heart like a Mord’Sith was trained to always do.

But how could she fight against the powerful things that she was feeling for Tristan?

Finding Kahlan’s office, the pair quickly entered, shutting and locking the door behind them. Tristan released a sigh of relief as he sagged momentarily against the door in an effort to catch his breath, his eyes falling closed as his hand gripping the weapon dropped to his side and nearly slipped from his fingers as fatigue attempted to overwhelm him.

“Where do you think Kahlan keeps her Journey book?” Rachel asked as she made her way to the Mother Confessor’s desk.

Tristan sheathed his sword as he made his way towards her to help her look. “Richard said it should be in a locked drawer on the right hand side.”

“And how do we get into a locked drawer when we don’t have the key or know where it is?” Rachel frowned.

Tristan flashed her a smug grin before reaching for Kahlan’s long metal letter opener. “Like this.”

Taking the letter opener, Tristan began to pick the lock on the drawer as Rachel watched him in amazement. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing as he worked the tip of the letter opener in the small lock, turning it this way and that.

The sudden pounding on the door, however, caused them both to look up in surprise. “Open this door…now!”

They both froze at the sound of a surly voice on the other side of the door, the constant pounding causing the wooden entrance to the Mother Confessor’s office to shudder under the sheer force. Tristan began to work faster, knowing they were swiftly running out of time again.

“Keep working,” Rachel told him. “I’ll take care of them.”

“Rachel, don’t open that door,” Tristan ordered her, his voice stern with fear that she would try to take them on alone. “You can’t take them on by yourself.”

“Open this door!” the soldier bellowed, repeatedly slamming his fist and causing the wooden door to creak and groan on its hinges.

“Don’t worry about me,” she scowled as she threw him a glare. “Just get the Journey book.”

Tristan ground his teeth as he watched as she pushed a heavy table in front of the door, barricading themselves inside and buying him a little extra time. He finally smiled in triumphant as the lock suddenly popped open. He pulled the drawer open, finding the Journey book resting inside.

“Got it!” Tristan exclaimed.

“We need to get out of here,” Rachel told him. “This door isn’t going to hold for much longer.”

The door shook as the soldier threw his shoulder into it, the wood beginning to splinter and crack from the force of the brutal assault on it. The table leaning against it shifted a little further and further away with every slam of the soldiers against it.

“Come…this way,” Tristan said, motioning for her to follow him out of a side door as he tucked the magical book protectively inside of his jacket.

Rachel quickly began to follow him as more soldiers began throwing their weight against the door about to burst apart at the seams. She followed him through the side door, closing it behind her and locking it before racing down the secret corridor after Tristan.

“Where are we going now?” Rachel asked.

“Some place quiet where we can send a message back to the People’s Palace without being interrupted by Kao’s men,” Tristan informed her, leading her down another side hallway.

XXX

Richard tightened his grip on his sword, more than anxious to get to Kahlan before Kao could do anything more to her than he probably already had. His stomach churned with the thought of what she had likely already endured as they made their way toward the Mother Confessor’s throne room.

They had stuck to the secret passageways, needing to avoid anymore entanglements with Kao’s men in hopes of conserving their strength for the ultimate battle with Kao. He knew it was going to be a fight for their very lives, taking everything they had in order to survive.

“We’re almost there,” Richard informed his friend. “Be prepared.”

“Don’t worry…I’ve got your back,” Chase reassured him.

“I know,” the Seeker admitted. “Thank you for that.”

“No thank you is necessary, my friend,” the boundary warden replied. “I’m just glad I came to check up on you when I did.”

Desperation to get to his wife was clawing deeper and deeper inside of him with every step he took, drawing closer to the throne room where he’d hopefully find his Kahlan. His blood began to pound in his ears, holding his breath in anxious anticipation as he stopped before a side door that few knew about.

He paused to glance back over his shoulder at Chase who was standing behind him, ready with weapons firmly in hand. The boundary warden’s dark eyes were fierce with determination, his entire body tense in preparation for the battle that was about to come.

Silently opening the door, Richard could barely contain the tremble of apprehension that rippled through him, terrified of what condition Kahlan would actually be in when he finally found her. Would she even be alive?

Richard entered the dimly lit throne room with the stealth of his wood’s guide training, stunned and enraged to find it completely empty. He swore under his breath as he made his way through the enormous room, more than furious that Kahlan was still missing.

“Where is she, Chase?” he angrily growled, raking his fingers back through his brown hair in heated frustration.

“I think she was definitely here, Richard,” Chase replied, pointing to the thick chains hanging from the ceiling. “I can’t picture Kahlan chaining up any prisoners next to her throne.”

On trembling legs, Richard made his way to the long chains dangling from the ceiling, images of Kahlan hanging from them flashing through his mind. He swallowed hard at the blood that was splattered and pooled on the marble floor, knowing without a doubt that it belonged to her.

Kneeling down, Richard ran the tip of his finger through the vital red fluid to find that some of the blood had not fully dried yet. “She was here not that long ago,” he finally said, straightening up as he stared at the floor. “I have a feeling that we just missed them.”

Just then, the sound of a door sliding open from across the room caused both men to suddenly look up. Prepared for a fight, Richard was startled to see Edmund and another man coming out from a hidden passageway in the wall.

“Edmund,” the Seeker called, relieved to know that he was still alive. “Where’s Kahlan? What did Kao do with her?”

Richard’s gut instantly twisted as Edmund’s face grew pale with the question, his expression falling as he came to a stop before them. He glanced at the man standing behind Edmund, finding him familiar, but unable to place him or remember his name.

Cyrus Lang quickly averted his eyes under the Seeker’s heated gaze that seemed to burn through him like a bolt of lightning, sweat beginning to bead on his brow. He knew this was his fault. He wouldn’t be surprised if the Lord Rahl beheaded him as well as Kao for his involvement in this.

“I’m afraid that you just missed her, Richard,” Edmund softly replied. “Kao took her with him.”

“Where did he take her?” he demanded to know, taking a step closer. His patience had worn painfully thin, ready to snap in less than a bat of an eye.

“The Wizard’s Keep,” Edmund informed him.

“Why is he taking her there?” Chase asked, confusion etched in his face.

“Kao’s wizard needs her to get inside the Keep,” Edmund explained. “Evidently, Zedd’s spell is far too powerful for him to break through so he’s hoping the spell will react for the Mother Confessor.”

“Kao has his own wizard with him?” Richard questioned them both. This just kept getting worse and worse.

“Afraid so,” Edmund nodded. “His name is Ahti. I’m never heard of him before.”

“Is…is she alright, Edmund?” Richard finally managed to ask the question that had been burning in his mind ever since Theon had taken her from him.

Edmund stared at him for a long moment, trying to decide just how much he should reveal to him. He could tell that Richard was already teetering on the very edge, the Lord Rahl’s fearsome visage even rattling him. He could practically see the powerful magic that he possessed crackling around him, begging for release.

“She…she’s not good, Richard,” Edmund reluctantly admitted with a sad shake of his head, remembering how she had looked hanging from those chains. “You need to get to her as soon as possible. I fear that she’s not going to be able to last too much longer with those two barbarians.”

Richard forced himself to steal his heart, trying to keep it from breaking as he slowly nodded his head in response. He couldn’t think about her right now. “Tristan and Rachel are sending a message to warn the People’s Palace about a possible attack making its way there,” he informed them. “The First File is going to take back the Confessor’s Palace any minute now and the Aydindril army is on their way to meet Kao’s men approaching from the north head-on.”

“We’ll be prepared to help the First File secure the Palace,” Edmund reassured him.

“I’m going after Kahlan,” Richard stated, icy intent pervading his raptor gaze as he tightened his hold on the hilt of his sword, his fingers white from his fierce grip. “This ends here and now.” 

XXX

Kahlan risked a glance at her city, expecting to see it completely overrun by Kao’s men by now as she was half-dragged, half walked up the winding path that would take them up to the Wizard’s Keep.

She was surprised to find that her city was still intact. It wouldn’t stay that way for long with Kao C’Id’s army about to descend upon them. They would be here soon, destroying her beloved home that she had sworn with her life to protect at all cost.

Kahlan was pulled from her thoughts as she suddenly tripped, Kao jerking hard on her chain. She’d thankfully been able to right herself before landing flat on her face. She heard Theon chuckling from behind her, stirring her ire even more. She could feel his dark eyes boring into her, slowly slithering up and down her body, causing her skin to crawl as if covered with thousands of ants.

If she could get her hands on a dagger, she’d gut him like the vile pig that he was.

They finally came to a stop before the massive wooden doors of the Wizard’s Keep that stood as a menacing barrier against all of those who would dare attempt to breach it in an effort to learn the secrets hidden deep within it.

She watched with hatred blazing like an inferno in her sapphire eyes as Ahti raised his hands, his lips moving quickly, his words inaudible as he worked to break through the protective seal that Zedd had placed there before they had left for the People’s Palace well over a year ago.

A smirk played on Kahlan’s lips knowing that Ahti wouldn’t be able to penetrate the magical shield. Zedd was a Wizard of the First Order, one of the most powerful Wizard’s there was next to Sister Nicci. Not even Ahti was going to be able to get through that.

Kao glanced at her, a smirk of his own playing on his lips as his gaze dragged over her body as if it had been his filthy hands. Kahlan stared straight ahead, refusing to meet his leering stare. If she could, she would gouge his eyes out for the way that he looked at her, touched her.

Unfortunately, she could barely hold her head up at that moment; the only thing keeping her upright was the fierce rage simmering inside of her. She hadn’t had food or water in so long; sleep becoming nothing more than a craved luxury that continued to elude her. The pain that continually seeped through her body from the Rada’Han was sapping what little strength she did have left.

A sudden finger slowly trailed along her bruised cheekbone and down her neck finally forcing her to turn and look at him, a deadly glare warning him to not push it any further. Kao’s smirk only grew wider as his finger trailed down her chest to lightly circle her breast before squeezing it hard.

“You know, Kahlan,” he said, his eyes lifting from her full breasts to her eyes, “someday soon you’ll be bowing at my feet…begging for me.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” Kahlan sneered. “Better yet, do it. You’ll be dead before I ever bow at your feet.”

Kao cast a flickering glance back at Theon. Before Kahlan could fully register what was about to happen, a hard boot was slammed forcefully into her back, driving her to her knees and the wind right out of her lungs. It felt as though Theon had just broken her back, causing her to press her arm against her abdomen in a futile effort to hold her broken body together.

“See?” Kao gloated, reaching down to roughly grip her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “You’re on your hands and knees already for me, Kahlan.”

“I need her now,” Ahti suddenly announced, interrupting their fun. “Bring her here.”

Theon grabbed her by the back of her hair, yanking her up onto her feet and causing her to hiss in pain. She fought against the bile that had risen from the pit of her stomach, burning like acid in her throat as Theon dragged her to where Ahti was standing.

Ahti took hold of her wrist, placing the palm of her hand against a magical shield that could not be seen, but definitely felt. The power of the shield crackled against the palm of her hand, small sparks shooting out from it before suddenly disappearing altogether.

A grin slowly spread across Ahti’s narrow face for the first time since she had seen him. “I had a feeling you might hold the key to getting in here.”

Kahlan was further sickened by the thought that she had just assisted these monsters in getting what they wanted. She wished they would just kill her now before she was forced to take part in any further plans they had in store, whatever evil they were about to unleash on them.

“Good,” Kao nodded as he came to stand beside Ahti and Kahlan. “Now, we can finally get our hands on the book I want.”

“What book is that?” Kahlan asked, still fighting against the feel of her stomach that had stuck into her throat.

“The Book of Sokro,” Kao replied with a wide grin, relishing the look of horror that flashed across the Mother Confessor’s face as recognition and fear sunk in.

“No…you can’t be serious,” Kahlan gasped, shaking her head in disbelief. 

“So you know about the ancient book?”

Kahlan began to tremble on the inside, but she wasn’t about to allow him to see it. “I…I won’t let you get to it.”

Kao chuckled something deep and utterly sinful as he studied her in admiration. “I hardly think you are in the position to be making threats, Kahlan,” he mocked her, taking a step closer to her. “I have to say, though, I love your fiery spirit. Let’s just say it’s quite alluring. I’m anxious to see what you do when I finally have you to myself.”

“I will see you rot in the Underworld before I allow you to get your hands on the Book of Sokro,” Kahlan sneered at him.

“We’ll see about that now, won’t we?” Theon stated as he stopped on the other side of her.

“Take her inside,” Kao ordered them. “The sooner we find the book, the sooner we get started with our plans.”

“I will not help you find the book,” Kahlan swore, struggling against the pull of her chain around her throat.

With all her might, Kahlan suddenly grabbed hold of the chain with both hands, jerking it free from a startled Theon’s hold on it. She swiftly wrapped it around the man’s throat, using what was left of her strength to tighten it, but she feared it wasn’t nearly enough. The man’s neck was like a tree trunk, his strength insurmountable especially in her weakened state.

Amused, Kao watched as Theon simply took hold of the chain and pulled it free from his neck. “Amazing, isn’t she?” he admired her as Theon suddenly turned on her, his fist connecting her face and knocking her unconscious.

“You have to allow me a chance at her, Kao,” Theon growled as he picked up the limp body of the Mother Confessor, throwing her over his shoulder like a ragdoll.

“I told you she is mine,” Kao ground out. “I will not allow you to defile her, Theon.”

“Then you damn well better find me one of my own,” Theon angrily spat out as he followed Kao and Ahti inside the sacred Keep of the Wizards.

“In due time, my friend,” Kao attempted to placate him with a heavy sigh. “Right now, we have bigger things to worry about like releasing the plague.”

“This had better work, Kao,” Theon replied with a sneer. “We did not come this far just to have the spell fail now.”

“I told you it will work,” Kao said. “Once death’s plague has been set loose, no one will be able to stop us…not even someone as powerful as the great Lord Richard Rahl.”


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are references in this update to my first two fics in the At Last series. You don't necessarily have to read them to understand what's happening, but it helps a little if you really want to know.

Chapter 34

Ayden wailed with a fierce vengeance, his little face red and streaked with so many tears. He coughed and wheezed, attempting to catch his breath as he squirmed against his great-grandfather’s hold on him, kicking his little legs and clenching his small fists.

Unfortunately, Zedd was proving a poor substitute for Kahlan which was who the baby really wanted at that moment. The old Wizard frowned as he lightly bounced the struggling infant in an effort to soothe him, but nothing seemed to be helping.

“It’s alright, little one,” Zedd cooed, frowning with how his fever had returned, his cough growing worse.

He touched the tips of his fingers to the little boy’s forehead, allowing his magic to trickle into his body to help relieve his fever. He was growing more worried about his great-grandson as time dragged on without much improvement in his symptoms.

“Here, Wizard,” Aggie said, taking the crying baby into her arms. “Sometimes you just need a woman’s touch.”

Taking the baby, Aggie wrapped Ayden up firmly in his blanket before propping him up against her chest. Settling into a chair, she held him securely against her, patting his back as she gently rocked back and forth. Ayden snuggled deeper into Aggie’s hold on him, his cries turning into whimpers before finally fading altogether.

Zedd and Frederick just stared at her agape, eyes wide with surprise. “How’d she do that?” Frederick asked with a frown as he turned an unbelieving expression on Zedd.

“The mysteries of a woman, Frederick,” Zedd snorted with a shake of his head as he folded his lanky arms across his chest. “Never ceases to amaze me, though, even after all of these years.”

“Men just don’t have the motherly touch when it comes to children,” Aggie smugly replied.

Frederick and Zedd just shook their heads incredulously as they turned to walk away. “We should check on the girls,” the wizard said. “They should be waking from their naps fairly soon.”

Frederick agreed, following the older man into the other set of rooms. “How much longer do you think we’re going to have to stay here?” Frederick asked.

“I don’t know,” Zedd frowned as he peered into the room where the twins were still napping. “I had hoped that they would be able to secure the city by now, but I guess they’re having trouble.”

“I’m not sure that I want to know what kind of trouble they’re having,” Frederick confessed with a heavy sigh.

“I have to admit that I’m growing more worried about how sick Ayden is,” Zedd told him. “If I can’t get his infection under control, we may be forced to leave here to find a healer.”

Frederick couldn’t help the wave of panic that washed through him with Zedd’s words. “I noticed that his cough is getting worse.”

“Right now, my magic has been able to hold it bay, but I fear that it could worsen past the point that I can’t heal him,” he replied.

“I thought you were very powerful,” Frederick said, his tone far more curious than condescending. “Why can’t your magic heal him?”

“I do possess very powerful magic, but it’s only additive magic that I possess,” Zedd explained. “We need someone like Nicci who has additive and subtractive magic or a healer whose magic is focused on dealing with sickness.”

Glancing into the room where his twin granddaughters still slept, Frederick felt his heart constrict with pangs of anguish for what his family was going through at that moment. He knew how much his grandchildren missed their parents, how much he missed them already. He just wished all of this would be over and done with soon so they could return to their lives.

“Mama,” Paige sleepily called as she began to stir, lifting her head to look at them, finding her grandfathers instead of her mother.

Tears began to well in her eyes as she sat up in her bed, her bottom lip trembling as she reached out her arms towards Zedd. The old wizard immediately went to her, sitting down on the edge of the bed with her and taking her into his arms.

“There, there, my little one,” Zedd attempted to soothe her as he held her against him. “I know you miss your mother, but she will be here as soon as she can. Unfortunately, you’re stuck with us for now.”

Paige laid her head on Zedd’s shoulder, her tears trickling down her face and wetting his robes as she continued to cry for her mother. Priya woke at that moment as well, tears falling down her face as she began to cry too.

“Dada,” she wailed, rubbing her eyes with her little fists.

Frederick picked her up and held her close, patting her back. He looked across the room at Zedd, both of their hearts heavy for what their family was being forced to endure, hating this separation and not having a single clue about what was going on outside of their hidden suite. 

It was beyond difficult for Richard and Kahlan’s children, hard for them to understand what was going on and why they couldn’t be with their mother and father. They just prayed that something would happen soon, something that would put an end to this once and for all.

XXX

“We no longer need her,” Ahti stated, his blood red eyes cold and calculating. “You should kill her now before she kills you…and she will if given a sliver of a chance.”

Kao turned fiery black eyes on him, his fury barely contained. “I will end her life when I’m good and ready…not a moment before then,” he spat out.

“Maybe I should do it for you since you don’t seem to have what it takes to do what is necessary,” Ahti told him, taking a step towards the unconscious Confessor lying on the floor.

A large firm hand in the center of Ahti’s chest forced the wizard to stop in his tracks. “You so much as look at her and I will personally cut your heart out and eat it.”

The deadly hiss of Kao’s voice caused Ahti to instantly stiffen. Turning to look into Kao’s eyes, Ahti’s narrow face tightened with his own rage. “You are making a foolish mistake.”

“I highly doubt that,” Kao stated with a sneer on his lips. “She may be a Confessor, but she is still just a woman…one who cannot even use her magic.”

“And I am telling you that she is still one of the most deadly beings in all the territories,” Ahti snapped. “You are a fool if you think otherwise.”

“Maybe it’s you that I should rid myself of,” Kao said with a gleam in his eye, his lips curling with the thought.

Ahti’s red eyes began to glow dangerously with the fury within. “I don’t think it wise to threaten a wizard as powerful as I am,” he reminded him. “Besides, you need me to perform the ritual.”

“After that, I won’t need you anymore,” Kao pointed out, cocking a black eyebrow. “So, if I were you, I’d obey my orders. No one touches the Confessor but me.”

Theon stood beside an unconscious Kahlan, his large muscular arms folded against his chest watching the heated exchange between Kao and Ahti. They frequently argued like this, sometimes a little more violently than this as threats were exchanged and lines were drawn in the sand. 

In the end, though, they always came together for their common goal.

“If you two are done squabbling like a couple of girls, we have a book to find,” Theon angrily reminded them. “Do you even know where to find it, Ahti?”

The wizard brushed past Kao, turning his focus back to the task at hand. “It’s been rumored that the Book of Sokro is located in the lowest level of the Wizard’s Keep. We must be careful, though. There will be several magic barriers and traps set to keep us from getting to it.”

Theon angrily snorted as he closed the distance between him and Ahti. “It’s ‘rumored’ to be in the lowest level?” he nearly yelled. “I thought you said you knew where it was.”

“I do,” Ahti spat out. “It’s here in the Wizard’s Keep, but we’ll still need to search for it.”

“We don’t have much time,” Theon growled. “Richard Rahl will be coming after her soon and nothing is going to keep him from getting to her.”

“Leave Richard Rahl to me,” Kao grinned something dark and wicked. “I will take care of him and Kahlan. Before this is over, their blood will be covering my sword…along with their children’s.”

“We better get moving,” Ahti said, turning away from them to head down the long central hall. “Night is fast approaching.”

Just then, lightning flashed and thunder violently rolled, nearly shaking the entire Keep. Both Kao and Theon immediately began looking around as if afraid of where the chaos was actually coming from. Ahti just kept walking, ignoring the thunderstorm.

“Coming?” he called over his shoulder, a smirk playing on his lips at their fear.

“What do we do with her?” Theon asked, toeing her limp body with the edge of his boot.

“Chain her up and leave her,” Kao ordered. “We’ll take her with us when we’re ready to leave.”

“Are you sure we should leave her?” Theon questioned him with a frown. “What if she gets away?”

“She’s not going anywhere,” Kao said, bending down and grabbing a fistful of her hair. He yanked her head back to find her still unconscious. “When she wakes, she’s going to find that the nightmares I’ve been sending her in her sleep are about to become a gruesome reality. Chain her up.”

Releasing her, Kao began to walk away, leaving Theon to secure her. Success was within his grasp and nothing was going to get his way now. 

XXX

Richard and Chase raced outside in time to see the First File descending on the Confessor’s Palace like swarm of flies, rain beginning to pour from the heavens as lightning and thunder crashed in a magnificent crescendo that only seemed to add to the extreme direness of the situation they all found themselves in.

Soldiers of the First File attacked with a fierce vengeance, meeting the enemy head-on as Kao’s men poured from the confines of the Palace in order to defend it. Richard could already tell in those first few moments that this battle would not last long, his men victorious in the end. They were too skilled to be beaten.

Now, he just needed to get to Kahlan, stop Kao and the madness that he was threatening to rain down upon them all.

Racing up the road towards the Wizard’s Keep, the Seeker’s heart sank the closer he drew. There was no sign of Kahlan or Kao anywhere. They had somehow managed to by-pass Zedd’s magical shield that he had erected before they had left for the People’s Palace last year.

He shuddered to think of what Kao was truly after inside the Keep that contained wonders and sources of powerful magic too numerous to begin to count. He had spent more than enough time in there since defeating the Keeper to last him a lifetime.

Going back there now only served to resurrect horrifying memories that he’d sooner leave banished to the deepest recesses of his mind. Memories of what Brey had done to Kahlan in the Wizard’s Keep soon after returning to Aydindril burned like acid in his mind and served to feel the fury already teeming inside of him and pleading for release.

He had feared that he had lost her forever when she and Brey had disappeared in that blinding flash of powerful magic. Everyone had tried to convince him that Kahlan was really gone and that he should move on, but he had refused to give up on her and because of that resolve he had gotten her back.

Now, he swore, would be no different.

“What you do you think Kao C’Id could be after inside of the Wizard’s Keep?” Chase suddenly asked, interrupting the Seeker’s tormented thoughts.

“I’m too scared to think of what it might be,” Richard admitted, his voice grim. “There are some very dangerous, powerful things in there…things worse than either of us can even begin to imagine.”

The Seeker’s ominous tone did nothing to allay the boundary warden’s own worries. “That’s not very comforting.”

“This just keeps getting worse, doesn’t it?” Richard bit out with heated frustration. “Every moment that Kahlan is with that monster is driving me more and more crazy. I have to get her away from him before I can stop whatever it is that he’s up to.”

“We’ll get her out of there and to Zedd as soon as we can, Richard,” Chase attempted to reassure him, but he knew that his words sounded somewhat hollow. They had no idea what condition she’d even be in by the time they got to her and that was even if they could get to her in time. “Zedd will be able to heal her.”

“I hope so because I can’t live without her, Chase,” he murmured, his throat constricting as they raced towards their destination.

Richard was growing exhausted from all the fighting they’d had to do to even get this far. He hadn’t slept since the night before when he’d gone to Kahlan’s bed to comfort her after her nightmare, falling asleep with her in his arms. It had been absolutely perfect despite the rift that still lay bare between them in desperate need of repair.

The continual unrelenting pounding of the rage that was thrumming through him was wearing on his sanity as well as the fact that we couldn’t get to Kahlan quick enough. It was eating him alive and breaking him down. He needed Kahlan in order to survive, a life without her unimaginable…unacceptable.

Since first meeting her, she had quickly become his heart and soul, his reason for living and breathing. She was the light in his darkness, his solid rock that kept him centered and grounded. It was for her and because of her that he had ultimately been able to bring himself back up out of the bottomless dark pit that he had found himself in.

He was going to get her back, make everything right again. She deserved the man that she had married, the one that she had fallen in love with and he was going to be that for her because he loved her more than anything in this world.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached the Wizard’s Keep, the front doors left ajar as if in anticipation of their imminent arrival. Richard drew a deep breath in an attempt to focus his mind, doing his best to tamp down on the violent storm of emotions threatening to overtake him. He needed to be in complete control if he was going to be able to get Kahlan back.

He looked at Chase before slowly pushing the massive door open, a silent nod of agreement exchanged. The door groaned on its ancient hinges, a gust of wind causing sheets of rain to blow inside and wet the dusty floor. Entering, he closed the door behind him, anxious to find Kahlan.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait any longer to find her.

“Richard…over there,” Chase anxiously pointed.

In the dim lighting of the Keep, Richard found Kahlan chained to a pillar, unconscious and badly injured. His heart nearly stopped beating altogether at the sight of her. She looked as if she were dead as he drew closer. With a roar of fury, he raised his sword, breaking the chains that bound her.

“Kahlan,” he breathed as he fell on his knees beside her, his sword falling to the floor as tears of pure rage welled in his chest and lodged in his throat.

With trembling hands, he carefully cupped her battered and bruised face that was streaked with blood, lifting it to see her better. His heart hurt so badly for her, for everything that had been done to her, for not being able to get to her sooner.

“Kahlan,” he murmured. “Please…open your eyes.”

Kahlan groaned softly, the feel of someone’s hands on her igniting her fear and anger all over again. She immediately began to struggle and fight against Richard’s hold on her. “No…stop!” she cried, fighting with what little strength she had left.

“Kahlan…it’s alright. It’s me…Richard,” he attempted to reassure her as he tightened his hold on her.

“Richard?” Kahlan moaned with a tremor in her voice as she finally forced her eyes open.

Tears filled Richard’s eyes as he gently caressed her face, sickened by what they had done to his wife, fearing the absolute worst. What else had those vile men done to her that he couldn’t see with his eyes?

“Richard,” she gasped, her bottom lip trembling as she lunged forward, throwing herself into his arms.

Richard was almost knocked backwards, his arms wrapping securely around her. He swiftly tightened his hold on her as she sobbed softly against his chest. He tenderly stroked her hair, whispering his love for her as he attempted to soothe and comfort her.

“What did they do to you?” he finally asked, pulling back to look into her sapphire eyes filled with such heart-rending pain it nearly stole his breath away. He was more than terrified of her answer.

Kahlan quickly averted her eyes, squeezing them tightly shut as if trying to banish the horrors that she’d been forced to endure. It did little to calm his tormented mind at that moment. She tried to swallow back her fear, but couldn’t, her throat and tongue too dry to work.

“Kahlan, where’s Kao?” Richard asked instead. “Where did he go?”

“He…he and Theon went with a wizard…named Ahti to find a book,” she said, struggling to keep her eyes open.

“What book is he after?” Richard frowned, his eyes narrowing.

“The Book of Sokro,” Kahlan managed to say as she fought against the nausea that continually rose up inside of her.

“What is that?” Chase asked from his position beside Richard.

Kahlan barely registered that it was Chase who was actually here, but responded anyways. “It’s a book of conjuring spells,” she explained, her eyes falling closed as unconsciousness suddenly threatened to drag her away again. “It…it’s a…the book…it’s…”

“Kahlan!” Richard yelled at her, firmly gripping her shoulders and shaking her gently. “You have to keep your eyes open. Focus on me…focus on my voice. What kind of spells are in that book?”

She obeyed, opening her eyes and revealing the pure terror that had been instilled within her by Kao C’Id. “Pure evil,” she whispered as if too afraid to speak of it.

Richard felt an icy shiver of dread pierce his chest with her woods. “Kahlan, you have to hold on for me,” he firmly said. “Chase is going to get you out of here now.”

“No…I…I can’t,” she insisted, shaking her head as she pulled his hands away from her face. She struggled to get to her feet, her legs quickly giving out on her and causing her to collapse in Richard’s arms. “I have…I have to stop Kao.”

“I have to get you out of here, Kahlan,” Richard snapped. “You’re in no shape to go after Kao. You can barely stand up on your own.”

Her hands went to the Rada’Han around her neck, her anger and frustration rising by the minute. “I…I have to get this off,” she breathed hard, sharp pains shooting through her side from her broken ribs. “Every time I try to move, it…it causes more pain. It takes my breath away.”

Richard brushed her hands away from her neck, his finger running over the cool steel. He may not have the key to unlock it, but he had his magic and he wasn’t about to fail her this time, not ever again. 

Focusing his thoughts, he wrapped his fingers around the Rada’Han as he sought out his magic. He felt it suddenly roar to life in a blinding light, rushing to the surface like a violent blast. The Rada’Han instantly disintegrated in his hands, the metal turning to nothing more than fine dust.

“Wow!’ Chase exclaimed in stunned disbelief as he stared at his friend. “How on earth did you just do that?”

“Long story,” Richard muttered, brushing the residue from his hands.

“We have to stop Kao,” Kahlan said as she attempted to get to her feet again.

“You are not going with me, Kahlan,” Richard hissed, his fury rippling beneath his skin and blazing in his chestnut brown eyes.

“Yes, I am,” she angrily insisted as she struggled to her feet.

Chase couldn’t contain the smile that tugged at his lips. “Well, it’s good to know that some things haven’t changed.”

Richard shot him a scowl before turning his attention back to his stubborn wife. “Kahlan, I’m not about to lose you again,” he ground out, his hands finding her face once more. He pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes falling closed. “I can’t…I can’t go through that again.”

“And you think I’ll be able to survive it if Kao kills you?” she snapped, fighting back angry tears.

Richard responded with a heated kiss, passionate and deep as he poured every bit of his heart into it. “I love you, Kahlan,” he softly confessed. “That’s why Chase is going to get you out of here while I go after Kao. As soon as this is over, I’ll come back to you. I promise.”

“I’m going with you, Richard,” Kahlan bit out, pulling out of her husband’s embrace and turning towards the boundary warden. “I need a dagger, Chase.”

Chase grinned at her as he pulled a large dagger from his belt. “It’s good to see you’re alright, Kahlan.”

“Good to see you too,” she replied with a small smile.

“You are absolutely no help at all,” Richard growled at Chase.

“I just know better than to argue with her,” Chase replied. “I’m surprised that you haven’t learned that by now.”

Bracing her broken ribs with her arm across her abdomen, Kahlan turned and began to walk down the central corridor. “When we find them, Theon is all mine,” she coldly stated, causing both man to shake their heads in disbelief as they began to follow her.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Cara wearily removed her red leather uniform, more than anxious to just relax for a while before bed. It had been a long day of securing the People’s Palace as well as thwarting more riots in the marketplace. She was ready to just confine every single person in the city to their homes until this was finally settled.

She slipped a black nightgown on over her head, relishing the caress of the silk against her skin. It had been an expensive wedding gift given to her by Kahlan. The Mother Confessor had grinned something mischeivious when she had given her the beautifully wrapped box. 

She could hardly believe that the demure Confessor who had only ever been with one man would have been so forward as to give her such a sexually provocative outfit to wear for her new husband. She had to admit, though, Kahlan had great taste because it was definitely Garren’s most favorite nighttime attire for her besides wearing nothing at all.

Thinking of Kahlan, Cara rubbed her arms to ward off an internal shudder of dread as she moved to stand before a window. She could no longer fight the anguish that stormed inside of her heart, the constant fear for her friends that threatened to steal her sanity.

She had no idea how Richard and Kahlan were doing…her family. They were all that she had left and she missed them terribly. She’d never admit it to their faces, choosing rather to keep her feelings hidden beneath a thick layer of curt remarks and stinging sarcasm, but Garren always saw right through it. He knew what they truly meant to her.

Actually, she was pretty sure the others did too, but she didn’t want to dwell on that. She preferred to think that they viewed her as the tough-as-nails Mord’Sith that they had always known, avoiding sharing her feelings at all cost. 

Cara drew a weary breath, releasing it slowly as her throat began to clench tightly with unwanted emotions she’d sooner not experience or deal with at that moment. She missed them fiercely, was growing desperate to know that they were alright. 

She just hoped that Richard was doing everything in his power to make things right with Kahlan. He needed her and she needed him. They were one soul, one heart. Apart they were broken…just a fragment of their true selves. Together they were whole… complete.

One could not survive for long apart from the other.

The sudden feel of strong muscular arms slipping around her waist brought a small smile to her lips. Garren’s chin came to rest on her shoulder, his nose nuzzling her hair to find her neck. She chuckled softly at the feel of his goatee scratching roughly against her skin, his lips soothing away the minor sting he’d left.

“You have to stop worrying so much, Cara,” he softly murmured in her ear, causing the fine hairs on her arms to stand on end. “Richard and Kahlan are strong. They’ll find a way through this. They always do.”

“And what if they don’t this time?”

Garren felt her tremble slightly in his arms, his eyes falling closed in unspoken agreement with her worries. He silently shared her fears, but refused to give voice to them knowing how truly afraid for them that she was. He didn’t know how much longer they could go on without any news on their friends.

“Has Nicci heard anything from them through the Journey book?” he asked, his hands gently caressing her abdomen.

“No, nothing,” she huffed. She was fighting to hold on to her fears, but it was difficult with the way that Garren was touching her.

“That doesn’t always mean the worst, Cara,” he reminded her, his lips creating a heated trail along her throat.

Cara tilted her head as her eyes fell closed, offering more of herself to him. “It usually does when it comes to Richard and Kahlan.”

“They have Zedd with them as well as several Mord’Sith and a hundred First File,” he pointed out, his one hand slipping down to caress her thigh. “They’re in good hands, Cara. Besides, Richard is a War Wizard and Kahlan is the most powerful Confessor since Magda Searus. I think that whoever is behind all of this should be the ones who are afraid.”

“I know,” she admitted with a sigh. “It…it’s just I’m not there to help them…to make sure they’re safe. I swore to protect them a long time ago and I’m not there, Garren. I…I’m not there…when they need me the most.”

“No, but you’re here where they need you right now,” Garren told her. “They’re counting on you…on us…to take care of things here and you know how very important that is to them. They couldn’t do what they need to do now in Aydindril if they have to worry about what was happening at the People’s Palace.”

Cara growled, partly from the arousal her husband was stirring deep within her and partly because she knew he was right. He was always right and it annoyed her to no end. “I hate it when you’re right.”

Garren chuckled softly against her collarbone, his teeth raking over her skin before sucking hard. “And don’t you ever forget it, wife.”

“You did not just say that,” she said with a scowl that turned into a throaty moan as his one hand cupped her breast, kneading her slowly through her nightdress.

“What if I did?” he huskily teased her, his hand slipping beneath the black silky material to find her center.

“I will make you pay dearly…husband,” she threatened.

“Do you promise?” he grinned against her shoulder as his fingers of his other hand pushed the thin strap of her nightdress down.

Unable to bear it a moment longer, Cara swiftly turned in his arms; her mouth crashing into his as she finally let passion take over her fears, losing herself for just a little bit in this intimacy with her husband. She threaded her fingers through his wavy long black hair, holding him where she wanted him as he continued to explore her body with his hands.

“You are so evil…distracting me from my worries like this,” she breathlessly said as he gripped her thighs firmly in his hands, lifting her up to wrap her legs around his waist.

“So it’s working,” he smirked as he carried her to their waiting bed, more than anxious to devour his wife.

“Like magic,” she murmured as he quickly settled over her, thoughts of Richard and Kahlan, prophecies and invasions quickly being swept away in the wake of unbridled passion.

XXX

Commander Holland thoughtfully stared out over the sweeping landscape of D’Hara that seemed to stretch on forever. The mountainous terrain was littered with black specks that looked like thousands of ants marching to the beat of their commander.

It caused his anger to spike sharply, the insolence of this new enemy to think that they could try to take over the People’s Palace or attempt to overthrow the Lord Rahl. Richard was the first Rahl in how many generations to bring peace and unity to the land. He was not about to just step aside and let someone come in and destroy what they’d all fought so hard for.

“What are they doing now?” Nicci asked as she came to stand beside Commander Holland.

“They’re setting up camp,” Holland grimly informed her. “Not sure what they plan on doing next. There is no way for them to get past the thick reinforced outer walls of the Palace without building some sort of a bridge and that would take them years to build.”

“It’s very peculiar indeed,” she absentmindedly responded, mentally weighing the possibilities of what could be going on. “It’s almost as if they’re in no hurry to attack, like they’re waiting for something to happen.”

“Like what?” Holland inquired as he turned to look at the former Sister of the Dark.

Nicci pursed her lips, her forehead creasing in thought. “I’m afraid to think about it.”

Holland studied her for a long moment, her apprehension palpable. It definitely wasn’t helping to settle his own growing concerns about what could possibly be going on here or what Richard and Kahlan were facing in Aydindril.

“Were you able to learn any more about the prophecy Zedd had found?” he finally asked.

“I’m afraid nothing more than the fact that the storm is now upon us,” she informed him. “As to what the plague that will be unleashed on us might be…I have no idea.”

“You’re not very reassuring,” he snorted as he turned back to face the window, the sun setting on another day as the last rays of light drained away.

A rueful smiled tugged at her lips, fatigue pulling her senses. “Definitely not very reassuring times, is it my friend?”

“It hasn’t been very reassuring around here for more weeks than I care to think about,” Holland said with a scowl, his hand subconsciously falling to the hilt of his sword resting at his hip.

“I know,” Nicci agreed with a weary sigh. “I shudder to think how things in Aydindril are going for them. Hopefully, Richard and Kahlan will be able to get everything under control before the worst happens.”

She hoped that Richard would have a chance to work things out with Kahlan. As much as she loved Richard, she knew that Kahlan was who he wanted, who he needed and loved with every fiber of his being.

It caused a sharp sting in her heart and yet Richard’s happiness was still forefront in her mind. Kahlan made him happy and that’s all that mattered in the world to her. Besides, Kahlan was her friend and she couldn’t bear the thought of hurting her. She’d caused Kahlan enough pain in the past, only wanting to help her now.

“How long before you think Cara finally decides to go to Aydindril after Richard and Kahlan?” he asked, amusement suddenly lacing his voice.

His question caught her off guard, causing the ache in her heart to abruptly subside. Nicci couldn’t contain the laughter that spilled from her lips with the image that suddenly took shape in her mind. “I’m sure the time is becoming quite short before Garren will have to tie her down to keep her here,” she replied. “I can’t say as though I blame her. I think we all share her fears.”

Holland nodded his head in agreement. “If it weren’t for the fact that Richard left me and Garren in charge, I’d have taken an army straight to Aydindril long before now.”

“I would’ve been there helping you lead the charge,” Nicci smiled softly.

“Any response yet from Aydindril in the Journey book?”

“No, nothing yet,” she shook her head. “I must admit the longer time goes by without an answer the more concerned I am.”

“I’m sure that Richard and Kahlan have their hands full right now,” Holland attempted to reassure her with a confidence that he lacked at that moment. “They probably just haven’t had a chance yet.”

Nicci drew a deep breath, fighting back unexpected unwanted tears. They both knew it was far more than that, choosing rather to not speak of it. “I hope you’re right,” she murmured.

XXX

Catching up to Kahlan, Richard quickly pulled her back to walk behind him and in front of Chase. There was no way he was going to let her lead the way into a deadly fight even if she wasn’t injured as badly as she was.

She was doing her best to keep up a brave front, but he could tell that she was in a great deal of pain, her injuries far more severe than she was letting on. On the surface, he could see the terrible bruises that she bore from her time in Kao’s hands, the nasty gash on the side of her head that had no doubt been delivered by Theon when he had captured her in the tavern.

Her left eye was swollen and red, blood both old and new marked her body in various places. She looked as though she could barely put one foot in front of the other and yet she refused to stop or give-up. Her sheer determination was one of the things that he loved the most. At the same time, he feared it would get her killed one day.

He could only imagine the internal damage that had been done to her by them – both physical and emotion, not to mention mental.

According to Tristan, Kahlan hadn’t been sleeping well the last few nights as it was because of the nightmares that Kao had somehow been able to send her every time she tried to close her eyes. He knew that Kao was trying to wear her down, break her tremendous mental fortitude. He could see how it was taking its toll on her.

It was vital that he stopped this now, put an end to the terror and tyranny that Kao was perpetuating. He was not about to let the D’Haran Empire fall under the same wicked machinations that Darken Rahl had used to rule D’Hara in the past.

He wasn’t about to let Kao get away with this, with what he had done to Kahlan. She was his very life and Kao had threatened to take her away from him.

Falling in love with her had been the most effortless, most wonderful thing that had ever happened to him. He didn’t regret one moment of loving her or losing his heart to her. The only regret came from how badly he had treated her, shutting her out and pushing her away, but soon he would be repairing all of the damage that he had done.

He just prayed that Kahlan would let him repair the beautiful heart that he knew that he’d broken. Knowing how badly he’d hurt her hurt him far worse than Denna’s agiel could ever hope to.

“So what’s the plan when we finally find them?” Chase asked from behind them.

“Stop Ahti from getting the book and then Kao C’Id is all mine,” Richard ground out with a deadly calm that caused a shiver to lance through the boundary warden.

Chase found himself almost feeling sorry for Kao for what was about to happen to him when Richard finally got his hands on him. The Seeker was like a man possessed, full of pure fury that was seeking release.

“Well, if you get Kao and Kahlan gets Theon then I guess that leaves the wizard for me.”

They worked their way deeper into the Wizard’s Keep, following the tracks the trio had left behind on the dirt covered floor. The only thing keeping Kahlan moving forward and not collapsing on the ground in a lifeless heap was the fact that they needed to stop Kao before he unleashed evil upon the Empire, before he got his hands on her family.

She ached inside to see and hold her children, to close her eyes and sleep without Kao actually invading her dreams. She wanted to feel Richard’s arms wrapped around her, his muscular body pressed flush against hers with their legs tangled, not knowing where one left off and the other began.

Richard seemed to finally be himself again, the man that she had fallen so in love with and yet she feared it was nothing more than a fleeting wish. She feared the moment that when the current threat was over and done with he’d withdraw back inside of himself, shutting her out all over again.

She couldn’t bear that…not again.

A sharp gasp of anguish and pain escaped her throat causing Richard to suddenly stop and turn back towards her in concern. His hand immediately took hold of her, his fingers curling almost painful around her upper arm, the glistening tears in her sapphire eyes like a knife’s blade slicing his heart in two.

“Kahlan,” he murmured, fear clouding his eyes. “You can’t go on anymore.”

“I’m not stopping now,” she ground out with a wince. Every single breath felt like razor blades being driven into her side. “You can either come with me or wait here, but I’m going, Richard.”

Pulling her arm free from his hold on her, she forced her body to keep moving despite the exhaustion and pain. Richard’s chin dropped to his chest in building frustration. He cursed under his breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting to control his anger, but the death grip he held on his sword wasn’t helping much. It was only feeding the rage within.

He didn’t know whether to shake her or kiss her senseless at that moment.

“Come on,” Chase softly said, squeezing his shoulder as he moved past him. “The sooner we end this, the sooner you can get her to Zedd.”

Swallowing back his heart that had suddenly lodged in his throat, Richard drew a ragged breath before continuing on. He swore Kahlan was going to be the death of him someday, his fear and worry for her eventually devouring him whole.

Spirits, he loved her so much it almost took his breath away at times. Losing her now was unacceptable.

XXX

“Stay back!” Ahti suddenly yelled, throwing an arm out to the side a breath before Theon walked straight into an invisible magical barrier that had been erected long ago.

Stunned, Theon immediately froze, his heart nearly stopping. “How do you know there’s something there?” he asked, turning a wary eye on the wizard standing at his side.

“Why do you continually question me?” Ahti sighed. Abruptly reaching down, he grabbed Theon’s hand, pushing it forward into the magical barrier.

Theon screamed wildly in excruciating pain, the skin on his hand swiftly burning off before the powerful wizard allowed him to retract his arm. Breathing hard, he turned a furious eye on Ahti, the smell of burnt flesh filling the air.

“I’m going to slit your throat for that,” Theon roared, holding his trembling burnt hand close against his chest as his other hand went for his sword.

“Theon, stop it,” Kao ordered. “We don’t have time for this. We have to find the Book of Sokro before it’s too late. The red moon is tonight. The spell has to be performed before it sets.”

Theon seethed, clutching his severely blistered left hand against his body. “Let’s go then,” he groused as he turned towards Ahti. “No more tricks from you or I won’t hesitate to kill you regardless of the spell.”

Ahti just smirked as he raised both hands out before him, softly chanting a spell that neither Kao nor Theon could understand. A sudden blinding light appeared causing both men to take an unconscious step back, a hand coming up to cover their eyes.

Lowering his hand, Kao looked to Ahti who was already proceeding forward down the long corridor. “Are you sure you know where you’re going?” Kao demanded to know.

“Do you really doubt me after this long?” Ahti asked without turning around.

Taking a right down the next corridor, they suddenly came to a dead end. “We never should’ve trusted him,” Theon snorted, enraged.

“Oh how little our mind truly is, Theon,” Ahti cast a sidelong glance at him.

Theon growled, his teeth clenched with unnerving pain as his hand went for his sword again. Ahti didn’t even flinch, only staring him down and almost begging him to draw his weapon against him. Theon’s glare grew hotter at the wizard’s lack of fear.

Ahti finally looked away, raising his hands out before him as he began to chant. The wall before them abruptly faded away revealing a large alcove. They found a small podium resting against the wall at the end. Resting upon it was a small rather unassuming book.

Kao looked at Theon, a smile spreading across his face, his black eyes practically sparkling with delight. “The Book of Sokro.”

“We did it,” Theon said with a reluctant smile. 

“Not yet, we haven’t,” Ahti coolly reminded them. “We must perform the spell before the red moon sets or all of this will be for naught.”

Ahti marched straight for the book, his red eyes beginning to glow brightly as he came to a stop directly before the book. He ran a long slender finger over the cover of the archaic Book of Sokro. He could practically feel the wickedness radiating from it, seeping into his blood.

His lips curled into a grin of pure malice as he opened the magical tome, his fingers caressing the ancient pages. His breath caught in his chest, the power of the book thrumming through him. It was mesmerizing, energizing.

“Once he performs the spell, we’ll need to signal the army to take the rest of Aydindril,” Kao told Theon.

“The army at the People’s Palace had better be in place for this to work,” Theon stated, doing his best to ignore the fierce burning pain in his hand. It felt like it was immersed in pure fire, the flames still scorching the tissue and muscle.

“Gentlemen,” Ahti said, turning to look at them. “It’s time.”


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, readers. There are a lot of people who are going to die in this update only a couple of those injured are going to survive. Who will it be??

Chapter 36

The fighting within the Confessor’s Palace had swiftly grown fierce and bloody as the First File fought to take it back under their control. Bright red blood streaked across the floors and walls as one by one Kao’s men fell to the Lord Rahl’s most skilled and battle-tested soldiers.

Cyrus and Edmund along with a contingent of First File soldiers fought their way towards the central Council Chambers where the majority of the palace staff was being held prisoner. Bodies from the first battle still littered the floor, the blood of the dead dried on everything it had touched.

It would take weeks to restore the Confessor’s Palace as well as properly bury the dead, the fallen needing to receive the respect that they deserved especially after being cut down in such a gruesome fashion by Kao’s men.

“Over there!” Edmund shouted. “More coming on the left!”

The First File quickly compensated for the reinforcements that had suddenly arrived, fighting with a renewed energy to eliminate the threat to the Lord and Lady Rahl that they had sworn to protect and defend with their very lives.

Cyrus thrust with his sword, taking on one of Kao’s men. Unfortunately, the larger more skilled warrior quickly gained the upper hand, knocking Cyrus’s sword free from his hand before swiftly driving his blade deep into the older man’s abdomen.

“Cyrus!” Edmund cried as he raced to his fallen friend’s side.

Without a second thought about the fight going on around him, Edmund dropped his sword, gathering the man up into his arms. “Cyrus! Hang on, old friend.”

Cyrus drew shuddering gasps for air, his eyes beginning to glaze over. “Please…tell Richard and Kahlan how sorry I am…for all the trouble I helped cause…” he choked out, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “And tell Randa and Neal to take good care of my…my Lysria.”

“Cyrus, you old fool,” Edmund growled, tightening his hold on him. “You aren’t going to die so you can tell them yourself. You just have to hang on until Zedd can heal you.”

“There’s no…no time,” Cyrus shook his head, his eyes closing. “I’m sorry, old friend. I’m so…”

Cyrus’s body shuddered as he drew his final breath before going completely still in Edmund’s arms. “Cyrus!” Edmund yelled, shaking him. “No, Cyrus…not like this.”

Receiving no response, Edmund carefully laid his friend down on the ground, his eyes falling closed for a long moment before finally pulling himself together again. Picking up his sword, he stood to his feet on trembling legs, his anger and grief forcing him to move on.

Unfortunately, he never saw one of Kao’s men as he snuck up on him from behind, the man’s sword piercing him from behind and dropping Edmund to his knees.

XXX

Leaning his back against the wall, Tristan watched as Rachel used her dagger to cut her forearm. They’d argued back and forth for what felt like an eternity on whose blood they were going to use. Rachel had ultimately won the argument much to the king’s frustration.

“What do you make of Nicci’s message in the book?” Tristan asked.

“I’m not sure,” Rachel replied with a frown. “Nicci’s message was very cryptic. It’s probably code, something that only Lord Rahl or Kahlan will understand. Either way, we need to warn them about what is happening here in case Kao tries to strike the People’s Palace as well”

“I just hope we’re not too late,” he said, watching as she began to write in the journey book.

“I know,” she agreed. “We can’t let Kao take over the Empire.”

Tristan studied her profile as she wrote, admiring the delicate curve of her face that he wanted to touch, her lips that he found himself aching to kiss again. He forced himself to remain still when all he wanted to do was pull her to him, touch her and kiss her the way he really wanted to.

“You keep staring at me like that I’m going to start thinking you have a crush on me,” she said as she finished her message, not realizing what she had actually just said to him until the words had left her mouth.

She instantly froze, lifting her face to look at him in shock. She swallowed hard with the way his blue eyes began to darken, her heart hammering in her chest as he leaned closer to her. She didn’t know what to do, what to say. She wished she could take it all back, grab the words from the air and pull them back inside.

“What if I already do?” he asked, his voice low and husky.

“You can’t,” she murmured, mesmerized by his close proximity. “You’re in love with Kahlan.”

“What if my heart has decided it wants someone else?”

“It does?” she whispered, excited by his admission and yet afraid of what it all meant.

“I realized that I have been in love with the dream of marrying Kahlan,” he confessed, feeling so foolish now that his eyes had been opened. “I had never accepted the fact that Kahlan had left Aydindril and married her Seeker, but I know now that she and Richard are truly meant to be. You helped me realize that, Rachel.”

She could hardly believe this was really happening as Tristan drew even closer to her, his hand coming to rest against the side of her face. “I did?”

“You touched a part of my heart that I thought had died when Kahlan left,” he told her. “You opened my eyes and helped me to see that real love existed right in front of me.”

“Tristan, I…” she began only to be silenced by his mouth suddenly claiming hers.

Their first kiss had been sweet, tentative. This kiss was anything but that. It was passionate and possessive, heated in a way that Rachel had been dreaming about, but had tried so hard to ignore. Now, she found she couldn’t ignore it any longer…didn’t want to.

Retreating for air, Tristan pulled back to gaze into her eyes, hopeful that she felt the same way. He didn’t have to wait long as she closed the distance and kissed him again, unleashing her heart the way that she had been wanting to for some time now.

Overjoyed, Tristan’s hands settled on her face, holding her where he wanted her as he lost himself in the feel of her lips moving so passionately against his. Breaking the kiss, he fought to catch the breath she’d just stolen away. 

Rachel gazed into his eye, her hand caressing his face. “We should probably keep moving,” she finally suggested. “We need to find Lord Rahl and Chase.”

“Did you finish the message?” he asked, offering her his hand as he pulled her up to her feet.

“All done,” she told him. “Hopefully, Nicci will check the journey book soon.”

Taking the book from her hands, he stuffed it into his jacket pocket. “Let’s go,” he said, taking her hand and leading her back out into the corridor. “Richard and Chase will probably need help.”

They quickly headed back towards the secret entrance that would take them down into the hidden catacomb of tunnels that ran beneath the Confessor’s Palace. Turning the corner, they found themselves face to face with five of Kao’s men.

“Take them!” the man leading the group shouted, drawing his sword.

Tristan and Rachel quickly moved to attack, knowing that they couldn’t afford to be captured right now. They needed to get to Richard and help him free Kahlan. Rachel couldn’t help but wonder how her Lord Rahl and Chase were doing against Kao himself.

Tristan quickly eliminated three of Kao’s men one right after the other, determined to take as many out as possible. Turning, he watched as Rachel dispensed with one just as the last man’s sword pierced her side. “Rachel!” Tristan shouted, enraged as he charged towards the man.

He quickly raced to her, slicing through the final man before dropping to his knees beside the fallen Mord’Sith. “Rachel, no…please,” he murmured, his face contorted with fear as he took the bleeding Mord’Sith into his arm. “Hang on!”

XXX

Richard raked his fingers back through his long chestnut brown strands as they moved through the Keep, quickening his pace in a desperate need to get to Kao C’Id before he could find the deadly Book of Sokro. It was all he could do not to race through the Keep after Kao, leaving Kahlan behind in order to finish this once and for all, keeping her safe from anymore pain.

It was gut-wrenching to say the least seeing her like this, barely able to stand let alone breathe. He wanted nothing more than to sweep her up into his arms and take her back to their suite where he could take care of her, tend to her injuries.

He ached so deeply just to hold her close in his arms, to curl his body around hers and bathe in her scent as they shared the same breath. It had been far too long since he’d last been able to love her the way he wanted to, needed to.

Turning down another long corridor, Richard felt an unusual sense of calm washing through him, telling him that they were getting closer. The Keep was entirely too quiet, the only sound was the faint scraping of his and Chase’s boots against the aged marble floor as well as Kahlan’s ragged breaths.

Her breathing was growing more irregular the deeper into the Keep they went, periodic winces and gasps telling him that she was rapidly deteriorating. Unfortunately, he was going to have to force that horrifying thought to the back of his mind, knowing that he couldn’t dwell on how badly injured she was or he’d never be able to do what he needed to do now.

The soft sound of voices up ahead suddenly reached his ears, letting him know that they were close. He cast a glance back over his shoulder at Kahlan who was growing paler by the moment. Her blue eyes were distant and yet aflame with pure rage. It was probably the only thing keeping her upright.

Chase gave him a reassuring nod from behind her, silently telling him that he would do whatever was necessary to protect Kahlan. The Seeker nodded his head in response before turning his attention back to the battle at hand.

Righteous fury thundered through Richard’s veins as they drew closer, the voices growing louder. His heart hammered in his anxious anticipation as he tightened his hold on his sword. He would not rest until Kao C’Id was dead.

As gratifying as it would be to outright kill him with his sword, there was darker part of his that wanted nothing more than to beat him senseless for what he had done to Kahlan.

He paused, silently peering around the corner to find Kao, Theon, and Ahti at the end of a side corridor that opened up into a large alcove. Theon and Kao were talking to each other while Ahti had his back to them.

Richard’s chest immediately clenched painfully in realization. They had found the book.

Without a second thought, Richard raced towards them, his sights firmly set on Kao as Kahlan and Chase followed close behind. The sound of Ahti beginning to chant the words to an ancient spell filled the air, letting them know that they were too late.

Kao and Theon both spun around at the sound of someone approaching to find Lord Rahl had indeed arrived. Both men immediately drew their swords, intent on stopping them. A smile spread across Kao’s face as he moved to his right to take on the mighty Seeker.

“Lord Rahl,” Kao grinned wickedly at him. “It is an honor to finally meet the infamous ruler of the great D’Haran Empire.”

Richard only sneered in response as he lunged at the man who had tried to take everything away from him. He growled as he swung his sword, the wisdom and skill of Seekers past inundating him and guiding his every movement.

Kahlan immediately charged towards Theon who was laughing at her. “I see you’ve gotten free from your Rada’Han,” he mocked her. “I guess it’s time to see what you’ve really got, wench.”

“You can’t handle what I’m about to bring,” she seethed, ignoring the intense pain in her side that stole every breath she tried to draw.

She tightened her grip on the dagger that Chase had given her, more than prepared to do whatever it took to end Theon’s life. He would not touch her again nor would he ever be able to lay a finger on her children, not while there was still breath left in her body.

Ahti was forced to stop in the middle of the spell with the large boundary warden who was looming like a wraith behind him. “You fool!” Ahti angrily yelled as he turned on his heel to face him, his hands out in front of him in preparation for a battle. “Do you really think that you can stop me?”

“I don’t think I can,” Chase glared heated at him. “I know I will.”

Ahti created a bright orange ball of Wizard’s fire between his extended hands before hurling it straight at Chase with a bright gleam of pure wickedness in his glowing red eyes. The boundary warden swiftly leapt out of the way, narrowly missing being burned alive.

He ducked and rolled out of the way, leaping back onto his feet before charging after the Wizard who was already preparing for another assault. He knew that he needed to get Ahti away from the Book of Sokro so he could get his hands on it before the wizard released untold horrors upon all of them.

Kahlan blocked every swing of Theon’s sword with her large dagger, grunting heavily from the painful force that vibrated through her entire body every time Theon’s blade crashed into hers. He was a very large man, his strength giving him a definite advantage, but her smaller size allowed her to move more quickly than he could.

She just hoped that she could hold on a little longer. Her body was already beginning to give out on her, her moves growing slower, her vision tunneling and her breathing more shallow because of the pain lancing through her side as well as her head.

Her blood pounded in her ears, the room beginning to spin, but she fought past it, desperate to just get one hand on the barbaric excuse for a man who has abused her. All she needed was a single moment, one heartbeat in time to unleash her magic and he would be all hers.

“You’re weakening already, wench,” Theon taunted her with a smug grin, allowing his leering gaze to lustfully wander over her body. “I’m going to enjoy beating you and then I’m going to take you somewhere private where I can teach you what it’s like to be with a real man.”

“Too bad you aren’t a real man,” Kahlan spat out with heated venom.

Her biting words further enraged the arrogant man before her, causing him to suddenly lunge at her with a furious desire to make her suffer. His blade narrowly missed her abdomen as she swiftly turned at the very last second, her hand sweeping up to seize hold of his massive throat.

In that moment, time came to a standstill as Kahlan released her powerful magic that shot like a bolt of lightning from her into him. It lashed out like a blinding whip, snatching hold of his very soul and making it hers to control and manipulate at will.

Thunder without sound caused a fierce shockwave to seize the air around them as her blue eyes swirled to black before returning to blue again. Theon’s mouth hung open in sheer shock as he swiftly fell to his knees in a repentant display, his entire body trembling with the weight of grief that had gripped him.

“Command me, my mistress,” Theon begged, turning fearful dark eyes upon her.

“I want you to die,” she managed to ground out.

Theon’s eyes instantly rolled back into his head as his heart suddenly stopped, dropping to the ground dead at her command. Kahlan immediately slumped to the floor as well, her legs giving out on her as she fought to remain conscious. 

The fierce heat of Wizard’s fire exploded to her right as the dagger slipped from Kahlan’s fingers that were suddenly cold and numb. The feel of the cool marble floor felt like a welcome respite against her face as blackness swiftly overtook her.

Richard ground his teeth, his jaw clenched in barely restrained cold rage as he blocked every strike of Kao’s sword. The man was enormous, nearly making the Seeker seem small in comparison, but Richard was too skilled and deadly in his own right to be outmatched by Kao C’Id.

He allowed the wrath within to flood his system as he unleashed all his pent up emotions that had been storming within him, begging for release for so long now. His sneer deepened as he threw everything that he had into the fight with Kao.

Every muscle felt the rage simmering within, his powerful magic rippling just beneath the surface set to explode at any moment. He didn’t think that he’d ever felt his Han react in such a violent way. He could barely hold it in as he matched Kao’s every swing and thrust, his magic struggling to break free from the Seeker’s fierce hold on it.

His heart felt as though it was going to burst right out of his chest as his sword arched with ferocious intensity. The evil smirk on Kao’s face only served to fuel his rage, knowing what this man had likely been planning to do to Kahlan.

With a growl, Richard began to push him back with his forceful attack, putting the invader on the defensive. The smirk slowly began to fade from Kao’s face as the Seeker gained the upper hand, anger filling his black eyes that were mirrors to the true depravity of this monster’s soul.

“I am going to destroy you,” Kao seethed, grunting as the tip of the Seeker’s blade sliced through his upper arm. “I’m going to rape your wife over and over again. I’m going to slaughter your precious children right before your very eyes…and eat their hearts for dinner.”

“You will never touch my family,” Richard roared with vengeance that Kao felt deep in his bones.

The blade of the Sword of Truth began to glow with the blinding fury oozing from somewhere deep within the Seeker. A deadly calm filled his face, his dark raptor gaze locked solely on his prey before him.

In that flicker of a moment, Kao suddenly knew that he was no match for the mighty War Wizard. He knew he needed to escape, get out of here to regroup and come back to fight another day. Before he could even think about fleeing, Richard spun on his heel, his blade slicing across the man’s chest.

Kao instantly dropped his sword, staggering backwards in stunned disbelief as his back hit the wall. Richard didn’t hesitate as he drove his sword deep in his chest, panting heavily with satisfaction as blood spilled from the wound onto the Seeker’s sword as well as his hands.

“Greet the Keeper for me,” Richard hissed as he suddenly pulled his sword free.

Kao slowly slide down the wall, his blood streaking it as he sank to the floor. Richard stared at his lifeless body for a long moment, taking satisfaction knowing that it was finally done before turning his attention to the others.

His heart instantly leapt into his throat as his gaze fell on Kahlan lying so still on the floor several feet away, Theon lying next to her. “Kahlan!” he yelled as he raced to her side.

Dropping to his knees next to her, he gently rolled her over, his hands carefully cradling her face. She was alive, but barely, her breathing shallow. “Please…please, Kahlan,” he pleaded with her as he took her into his arms. “Don’t you dare do this to me, Kahlan!”

He looked to Chase, desperate for help, watching as his friend inched closer and closer to the wizard. Ahti suddenly turned, blasting a hole in the alcove wall before escaping. Chase looked back at Richard kneeling on the ground holding Kahlan in his arms.

“Get her out of here,” Chase told him. “I’m going after Ahti.”

Richard nodded his head in agreement, releasing Kahlan long enough to sheath his sword before grabbing the Book of Sokro. There was no way he was going to let that book fall into that wizard’s vile hands.

Returning to Kahlan, he gently gathered her up into his arms. Standing to his feet, he kissed her forehead before turning to leave. He just hoped that Zedd would be able to heal her, to save her life once again because without her he had no life.


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 37

Tristan sat in a chair beside Rachel’s bed, not leaving her side once since bringing her here to her room in the Confessor’s Palace. Reaching out, he carefully adjusted the blanket around her, making sure that she was comfortable.

He was still horrified by what had happened to her, by nearly losing her right there in his arms. He was so thankful that Richard’s First File had been able to free the palace staff that had been locked up in the council chambers, the palace healers helping to save her life.

If Na’Drea hadn’t come to help heal those wounded in the battle take back the palace when she had, Rachel would have died in that corridor.

“How is she doing?”

Tristan looked up to see Na’Drea standing near the foot of the bed, her hands folded before her. She looked tired; a bruise still marred her face from where one of Kao’s men had hit her when the Confessor’s Palace had first been attacked. 

Having practically grown up in the palace, he’d known Na’Drea his whole life. Right now, she was a most welcome face in the midst of his worries.

“She still hasn’t opened her eyes yet,” Tristan softly said, his attention returning to the beautiful Mord’Sith lying so still in the bed next to him.

“Give her some time, Tristan,” Na’Drea reassured him as she gave him a warm smile. “She lost quite a bit of blood by the time I got to her. She was fortunate that you were there to put pressure on her wound or she would’ve bled to death.”

“I can’t thank you enough, Na’Drea,” Tristan replied, slipping his hand around Rachel’s. “You saved her life…and mine.”

Na’Drea’s smile grew as she watched Tristan with the young woman. It warmed her heart to see him so in love again after losing Kahlan. She knew how difficult that had been for him to know that she had fallen in love with her Seeker.

“I was only too glad to help,” she told him. “I need to go check on several other patients, but please, come get me if you need me.”

“Thank you, Na’Drea,” he murmured, squeezing Rachel’s hand as if silently willing her to respond to his presence.

“You are more than welcome, Tristan,” she replied before turning to leave him alone once more.

Leaning his elbows on the edge of the bed, the King of Tashon couldn’t conceal the fear that still rattled him, wanting Rachel to open her beautiful sky blue eyes and look at him once more. He longed to hear her voice, to feel her lips against his again. 

He could scarcely believe how much his life had changed in recent weeks. When he had first left for the People’s Palace, he had not only been resolved to bring Kahlan back to Aydindril to save the city that had been on the cusp of destruction, but to also win her heart back.

It had stunned him how much Kahlan truly loved Richard and, although Richard had been struggling with so many things at the time, it obvious now how deeply he loved her in return. It had been painfully evident that they were meant only for each other, but he was able to let go of that now thanks to the woman lying in the bed before him.

Richard and Kahlan’s love was magical in a way, making him long for something as special and intimate as what they shared. He knew that he had finally found it in Rachel. Now, he just needed her to wake up, to be alright. Then, hopefully he could make her his forever if she’d have him.

“Tristan…” she murmured, her voice weak.

“I’m right here,” he told her, reaching out to tenderly stroke her hair. “You’re going to be alright.”

“What about Lord Rahl? Kahlan?”

“They…they’re back at the Palace now,” he told her, choosing his words carefully. He didn’t want her to worry right now. “Everything is back the way that it should be again.”

Rachel looked at him through slitted eyes, her brow furrowing with his words as she fought the cobwebs that still filled her head. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“You’re safe and they’re safe and that’s all that matters now,” he informed her. “Kao and Theon are both dead and Chase is out hunting for the wizard right now.”

Rachel seemed to visibly relax with his words, her eyes falling closed again. “Is Kahlan alright? Did those men hurt her?”

Tristan swallowed hard as he thought about his friend, the way she had looked when Richard had brought her back. She had been barely alive, Richard beside himself with crushing panic. He just prayed that Zedd would be able to heal her.

“She…she’s in bad shape, Rachel,” he reluctantly told her.

Rachel began to shake her head, fear welling inside of her for her friend. “I…I need to go see them,” she murmured as she tried to sit up. “I need to see Lord Rahl…see if he needs me.”

Tristan moved to sit on the edge of the bed, his hands finding her shoulders as he gently pushed her back against the mattress. “You are not going anywhere, Rachel,” he firmly insisted. “You’re staying right here where you belong for now.”

The Mord’Sith groaned, her side aching from where she had been stabbed. “Are you going to try to keep me here?” she asked, her tone teasing as she stared at him.

He was so incredibly handsome, his ice blue eyes so tender and full of love. She could scarcely believe that he truly felt that way towards her. Didn’t he realize what she was, the things that she had done to others? It all just seemed like some wonderful dream to her…one meant for someone else.

“If I have to,” he said with a grin. “Consider me your personal bodyguard from now.”

Rachel chuckled softly with his words, her laughter turning into a gasp with the pain that sliced through her side. “I’ve never had a personal bodyguard before.”

“Well, consider me your first…and only,” he replied with a triumphant smile.

She smiled softly at him in response. “Are you making me your sole responsibility now?”

“Yes…and I hoping you’ll let me make it permanent,” he admitted, his hand gently caressing the side of her face.

“Are you sure you want that?” she asked in disbelief, almost afraid of the answer she’d received, but she had to know for sure. “You know what I am, Tristan. I am a Mord’Sith. I’ve done more things…had horrible things done to me by Darken Rahl. You can’t possibly want someone like me. I’m…”

Tristan quickly leaned in, silencing her with his lips before pulling back to rest his forehead against hers. “I don’t care,” he murmured as they shared the same breath. “That was in the past and you were under the control of that monster Darken Rahl. I’m talking about the present, the future…a future with me if you’ll have me.”

“I…I don’t know what to say,” she softly said.

Tristan grew tense, anxious for the answer to his next question. “Do you feel anything for me?”

Rachel’s hand came to rest against Tristan’s face, her eyes suddenly growing moist. “What I feel for you, I’ve never felt anything like it before for anyone else,” she admitted. “You are an amazing man, full of such compassion and strength…not to mention you’re a king. You deserve someone so much better than me to be your queen. Tashon wouldn’t want me.”

Tristan’s heart leapt in his chest with her admission, the elation inside putting a smile on his face again. “Lucky thing I’m the king because I get to chose who I want to be my queen and Tashon will accept whoever I chose.”

“You really want me to be your queen?” she asked, stunned.

“More than anything in this world,” he informed her, his lips brushing softly against hers. 

Rachel pressed her lips more firmly against his, deepening the kiss as she poured her heart into the moment. She wanted him to feel what beat inside of her for him, what she felt when she looked at him…touched him, how he made her feel like her heart could actually fly sometimes. 

Retreating for air, Tristan cradled her face in his hands, his eyes roaming over her in desperate need of an answer. “I love you, Rachel,” he told her, nuzzling his nose against hers. “I know it seems sudden, but I know it’s real. I feel it with every beat of my heart.”

“I…I love you too,” she softly confessed, overwhelmed by his admission.

Tristan smiled brightly with her words, kissing the tip of her nose. Carefully, he lay down in bed beside her, pulling her close to him. Rachel willingly snuggled into his hold on her, snaking her arms around him as she rested her head on his chest.

“I wonder what Lord Rahl and Kahlan will say about me leaving the Mord’Sith,” she said.

“Sleep for now. We’ll talk to them later,” he told her, kissing the top of her head. “I’ll be right here when you wake.”

Rachel sighed in utter contentment and a happiness that she thought she’d know, relishing the feel of Tristan’s arms wrapped so protectively around her. She could hardly believe that this was happening to someone like her. 

After everything that had happened to her since being taken by the Mord’Sith, all the horrors that she had been forced to endure and done, she never thought that she’d actually fall in love with a king…or be loved in return.

XXX

Richard looked down at his son sleeping in his arms, his fingers gently caressing his cheek. He looked so much like Kahlan it melted his heart. He loved seeing her in each one of his children, in their actions as well as their features.

He was still beside himself with fear, panic continually clawing at his heart. Ayden had been sick by the time he’d gotten to them in the hidden suite beneath the Confessor’s Palace. Zedd had been able to keep it at bay for the most part, but Ayden had needed medicine as well. Thankfully, he’d been able to get that.

Zedd stood in the doorway, watching his grandson as he held his son. He looked as though he’d been to the Underworld and back a couple of times. Exhaustion lined his face, fear still clouded his eyes. He’d been through more heartache in the last several weeks than most people go through in a whole lifetime.

Richard stood up, walking over to Ayden’s crib and tucking him in. “I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to him, Zedd.”

“He should be fine now, my boy,” the wizard reassured him.

“How’s Kahlan?” Richard softly asked, watching his son as he slept.

“She’s still unconscious,” he reluctantly informed him. “It’s going to take quite a bit of time for her to recover. She suffered some serious internal damage, several broken ribs, internal bleeding. I’m afraid that Theon and Kao took out their aggression on her.”

Richard’s fingers curled around the edge of the crib with the news, his chin falling to his chest as he released a ragged breath. He should have been there to stop it, to save her. It should have been him instead of her…never her.

“And when she wakes, I’m going to have to tell her the man that was like a father to her is now dead,” he told him, pain pervading his voice. 

Zedd scowled with the reminder. “I just wish Edmund would have stayed out of it and let the First File handle it.”

“You know he couldn’t do that,” Richard sadly said. “It wasn’t in him to sit on the sidelines and let others fight when there was something he could do to help.”

The wizard sighed heavily. “I know,” he admitted. “It doesn’t make his death any easier to handle. Aggie is beside herself, can’t stop crying. Poor thing. And Kahlan…she’s not going to take this well.”

“When Kahlan’s well again, we’ll have a proper funeral for him,” Richard replied. “Any word from Chase yet?”

“Yes,” Zedd said. “He managed to track Ahti out of the Wizard’s Keep, but he lost him in the city somewhere. He’s still searching for him. I need to go secure the Keep again so that damn wizard doesn’t try to get back inside.”

Richard nodded his head, more than relieved that Chase was here with them now. “How’s Rachel?”

“She’ll be fine,” Zedd reassured him. “Na’Drea was able to heal her. Tristan is with her now.”

“Really?” Richard asked, surprised. “I didn’t see that coming although I have to admit I’m more than a little relieved that he’s given up on taking Kahlan away from me.”

Zedd shook his head in disbelief as his grandson made his way to him. “Did you honestly believe that Kahlan would ever choose him over you, Richard?”

“Yes…I did,” he softly confessed as he left Ayden’s room, closing the door behind him. “She deserves so much better than what I did to her, Zedd.”

“Maybe, but do you really think that Kahlan would ever stop loving you just because you stumbled and lost your way?” he asked. “Everyone stumbles at some point in their life, Richard. It’s how you react, how you pick yourself up after that speaks to the true person inside and I believe that you have more than proven yourself to be a very noble man.”

“I don’t feel very noble,” he admitted as he entered his bedchambers that he shared with Kahlan. “I feel like I failed Kahlan…my children.”

Richard’s breath caught in his chest as his eyes fell on Kahlan unconscious in their bed. Bruises marred her beautiful face, the cut on her forehead so ghastly against her pale skin. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed with her and hold her, kiss her until she understood the depths of his love for her.

“I’ll be back to check on her in the morning,” Zedd informed him, squeezing his grandson’s shoulder. “Once I’ve had a chance to rest, I’ll take care of that nasty gash on her head and the bruises, but for now she should be alright. I’ve managed to repair the worst of her injuries.”

“Thank you, Zedd,” he murmured, fighting back the thick swell of tears that had unexpectedly lodged in his throat. “I almost lost her again.”

“But you didn’t,” he reminded him. “She is here with you and she will be fine. She’s a fighter, Richard. She won’t let something like this stop her from coming back to you.”

Richard could only nod his head in acknowledgment as he slowly made his way towards the bed, exhaustion pulling heavily on him. He didn’t bother to look back, knowing that Zedd had left. He paused beside her bed, reaching out to lightly run his fingers along her bruised cheek.

“I’m so sorry, Kahlan,” he softly murmured as he stared at her. “I…I should have been there to stop them from hurting you.”

Leaning over, he kissed her gently on the forehead before retreating to the other room to get cleaned up. He couldn’t help but wonder how Chase was doing as he stripped off his dirty clothes, more than anxious to rid himself of the dirt as well as Kahlan’s blood. 

He hoped that when Chase caught Ahti that he didn’t hesitate to remove his head from his shoulders. He would not rest until that wizard was dead, until he had joined Kao and Theon in the Underworld with the Keeper and Darken Rahl where he belonged.

Too much had happened in the last several days, far more than he cared to think about. He’d come too close to losing everything that he loved most. It was next to unbearable to even dwell on. He swore to himself he was going to do whatever it took to fix this, to keep his family safe with him where they always belonged.

He quickly washed up and changed into clean clothes before returning to Kahlan who was still the same way that he had left her. Crawling into bed next to her, he gently pulled her into his arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

He breathed her in, savoring every single beat of her heart, the steady rise and fall of her chest letting him know that she was still alive with him. He softly stroked her hair as he just lost himself in the feel of her, the storm of emotions that he’d been battling for so long rising to the surface once more.

The tears crept up on him, slowly leaking from the corners of his eyes and wetting her skin before the dam at last broke. Tears fell like a waterfall down his face and into her hair as he finally let go of the heartache, the anguish and fear, the guilt that he carried deep in his heart.

His body shook with his sobs as he held her close, clinging to her as if she was his only lifeline. He needed her like he needed air to breathe. She was his solace, the calming center in the eye of his storm. Without her, he didn’t know who he was, lost his reason for waking every morning.

Without her, he was just a walking corpse.

He had no idea how long he lay there with her, crying until he had no more tears to shed, but sleep finally became too powerful to ignore as it took him away from his pain if but only for a little while.

XXX

Kahlan slowly became acutely aware of someone lying next to her, an arm wrapped firmly around her and keeping her where he wanted her. Panic and confusion swelled like a thunderhead inside of her, fearful that Kao was here, holding her down to hurt her. She had to stop him, get to her children.

She began to struggle against the hold on her; her breaths coming in ragged exerted pants as she fought to break free, her heart beginning to pound wildly in her chest as she tried to push him away from her. “No…no,” she started to cry. “Stop!”

“Kahlan…it’s alright. Open your eyes,” Richard reassured her as he moved to sit up beside her. “It’s me. You’re safe now.”

She obediently opened her eyes, finding Richard leaning over her, his hands cupping her face. “Richard?”

“I’m right here, Kahlan,” he reassured her, his thumb brushing back and forth across her cheekbone.

“What happened?” she whispered.

“Kao and Theon are dead,” he informed her. “They can’t hurt you anymore.”

Tears began to escape from the corners of her eyes, relief beginning to wash through her. Her eyes fell closed, fighting to control her emotions that were spiraling out of control, but it was beyond difficult after everything that had happened.

“Our children…where are they?” she demanded to know, panic causing her chest to clench.

“They’re safe,” he promised her. “The girls are with Frederick right now and Ayden is asleep in his room.”

Kahlan relaxed against the pillows, her breathing still ragged as the tears continued to trickle down her cheeks. Her family was safe and Kao and Theon were dead. That was all that mattered in this world to her at that moment.

“Kahlan, I’m so sorry for what they did to you,” he told her, studying her battered face that only fueled his fury. “I should have gotten to you sooner, kept you from having to go through that.”

“It…it wasn’t your fault,” she murmured, closing her eyes against the dreadful memories.

Tendrils of fear snaked through Richard, terrified of what those two barbarians had done to his wife. “Did they…” he began, his voice suddenly breaking off, too afraid of what her answer would be.

“They touched me, but…no,” she replied. “They didn’t rape me.”

“Kahlan…”

“It’s alright, Richard. I’m fine now,” she quickly attempted to reassure him, but her voice was anything but convincing. They had hurt her, violated her and there was nothing he could do to erase that.

“No, you’re not, Kahlan,” he stated, angry with himself for not being able to protect his own wife. “You couldn’t be after what you’ve been through.”

Tears continued to silently slip down her face, her eyes falling closed. She turned towards him, burying her face into his chest as she broke down in heart-rending sobs. Her fingers curled into his shirt, clutching it with all her strength as she clung to him for dear life.

“I…I couldn’t stop them…” she sobbed, her words muffled by his shirt. “They touched me…and I couldn’t stop them.”

Richard tightened his arms around her, holding her close as he buried his face in her raven hair as he rubbed her back. He murmured his love for her, reassuring her and allowing her to release her anguish at that moment even though it was breaking his heart to see her like this, knowing what they had done to her.

He knew that he needed to tell her about losing Edmund in the fight to take back the palace, but now was not the time. She was too upset, been through too much to deal with the loss just yet. When she was a little stronger, he’d tell her. He’d hold her then too when the time came, comforting her and being there for her to lean on.

They had so much that they needed to talk about, so many things that he needed to tell her. He needed to explain why he had pushed her away like that after Michael’s death, why he hadn’t tried to stop her from going to Aydindril with Tristan. 

He also had to tell her about kissing Nicci, knowing that he could lose her over it. Even though he’d been drinking heavily at the time, it was still no excuse for his actions, for trying to use Nicci to help erase the pain that had sat like a embittered thing in his chest. 

He just prayed that she could find it in her heart to forgive him someday.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 38

Kahlan stood outside on the balcony of the Mother Confessor’s suite at the Confessor’s Palace, her arms wrapped around herself as if afraid she might actually fall to pieces if she let go. So much had happened to them over the last several weeks, far more than she could possibly comprehend at times…far more than her heart could take.

Deryn and Michael…Sabinus and Sangria…Richard’s withdrawal from her, Tristan’s arrival and declaration of love. Kao and Theon causing so much devastation…death. So many lives lost including Edmund’s.

A shuddering gasp got caught in her throat at the thought of Edmund, causing it to constrict painfully. Why hadn’t he just stayed back, stayed where it was safe for just a little longer?

Tears began to fall again, rolling down her cheeks, so hot and bitter and angry beyond imagine. Everything felt so chaotic, so out of her control. She felt as though she was lost in a frenzied sea of murky darkness that threatened to drag her down into its churning abyss.

The pain inside stole her breath sometimes, so much heartache it hurt to breathe. She didn’t know if she had what it took to fight anymore. So much had been stolen from her – so much happiness, contentment and security…peace.

How was she ever going to be able to get through it this time? She was tired of dragging herself up after being beaten down, her strength was waning, but she knew that she needed to keep going for her children, for her city and her people…and for Richard.

Richard.

She didn’t know what to think about her husband anymore. Her love for him had never wavered once through all of this despite Tristan’s affirmation of love. There were times when her thoughts, her emotions had faltered in the midst of her heartache, but her heart never truly had. It had always belonged to Richard and always would. She could see that again now.

He had told her that he had come back for her, had come to Aydindril because of her and their children, wanting to make things right. She wanted more than anything to believe him, wanted him back with her where he belonged and yet she found herself afraid to truly trust it.

She didn’t how she could possibly handle going through losing him to whatever demons inside had stolen him away from her. She had tried to be there for him, to be patient and give him time and the unconditional love that he had needed, but even she hadn’t been able to help him and it hurt her deeply.

“Kahlan?”

She didn’t turn around at the sound of her name, wanting to be alone right now. She quickly attempted to wipe away the evidence of her tears, but a sudden thumb brushing across her cheek told her she had failed.

Opening her eyes, she found Richard standing before her, his chestnut brown eyes filled with such anguish and worry that she couldn’t help but feel guilty for adding to it. He stared intently at her, his fingers roughened by the sword brushing lightly over her cheeks and jaw, erasing the salty drops from her face.

“Kahlan,” he softly murmured, his voice cracking from the hurt that permeated his heart. “I hate to see you hurting like this. I want so much to take away your pain.”

“I guess you now know how I felt after Michael died and I couldn’t help you,” she said, her voice full of bitterness as she stiffened before him. She immediately regretted the words as soon as they had passed her lips.

Richard’s chin fell to his chest in guilt as he released a ragged breath. “I deserved that,” he admitted, lifting his head to face her and the talk that had been far too long in coming. “I’m so sorry for shutting you out and pushing you away. It was wrong of me, Kahlan. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t regret hurting you like that.”

“Why?” she murmured, tears glistening in her eyes. “Why did you, Richard? I’m your wife. Why didn’t you feel like you could talk to me?”

Richard rubbed the back of his neck as he fought to find the answers to her questions. He leaned back against the stone ledge of the balcony, crossing his arms against his chest. “I was afraid,” he confessed, embarrassed now to be admitting it to the one woman whose opinion of him meant everything.

“Afraid?” she asked, confused. “How could you be afraid of me after everything that we’ve been through together?”

“I felt like such a failure after Michael died,” he explained, his eyes growing distant as he thought back on that horrible time that he’d sooner forget than relive, but he knew that he needed to if he was ever going to repair things with Kahlan. “I’m the Seeker, the Lord Rahl of D’Hara and I couldn’t even save a little boy from dying. I began to doubt myself, think that maybe I wasn’t who I thought I was…wasn’t the man who you married.

“I was afraid that I had let you down, Kahlan. I couldn’t save a little boy. How could I possibly keep you or our children safe…protect or lead an Empire when I couldn’t even save Michael?”

“Richard, you couldn’t have saved Michael,” Kahlan insisted, the tears subsiding but the heartache deepening with her husband’s heartfelt confession. “He was never supposed to have existed. There was no way for anyone to save him. Not even Zedd or Nicci could.”

“I know, but I couldn’t help the guilt,” he continued, tears beginning to form in his eyes. “Michael was my son, Kahlan. I didn’t physically create him with Deryn and yet he was still mine. As guilty as I felt for not being able to save him, I felt a sense of relief when he passed away.

“Relief, Kahlan…I felt relief when a little boy died. What kind of man does that make me? It makes me a monster.”

“You are not a monster, Richard,” Kahlan firmly stated, closing the distance between them and gripping his shoulders tightly. “We all felt a sense of relief knowing that it was over, knowing that he no longer had to suffer any more.”

“But it was more than that, Kahlan!” he angrily growled, tears trailing down his cheeks and disappearing in the scruff that lined his jaw. “I was relieved that Deryn would be gone from our lives, that you wouldn’t be forced to help raise another woman’s child…that you wouldn’t have to see her with me and Michael. The only children I want are the ones that I have with you, Kahlan. I couldn’t bear the thought of a child that was mine, but not yours.”

Kahlan’s tears returned unbidden as they wept together. She pressed her forehead against his, her eyes falling closed as tears dripped from her chin and jaw. “Richard, it would have hurt to see you with Deryn and Michael, but for you I would have done anything.”

“I know that, but I just…I couldn’t accept it,” he choked out. “I felt like a monster for feeling such things towards a little boy who had no say in any of this. He didn’t deserve this…didn’t deserve any of it. He died not even knowing I was his father.”

Kahlan wrapped her arms around him, holding him as they shared in each other’s grief. Richard began to shake as she held him, her heart shattering and splintering with his pain, aching inside to take away every bit of his anguish and fears.

Richard’s arms slipped around her, clinging to her like a little boy lost in the darkness in desperate need of someone to love him and show him the way back into the light. “I should’ve never let you leave with Tristan,” he told her, his face buried in her hair.

“Why did you?”

“I was scared,” he admitted, drawing a deep shuddering breath as he attempted to sort through his thoughts.

“Scared about what?” she asked, pulling back to look at him.

“Scared that I had really lost you for good,” he confessed. “I was terrified that I had pushed you into Tristan’s arms. It felt like you had picked him over me. I was furious…hurt, bitter. I didn’t know how to deal with it especially after everything else that had happened so I just gave up. After Michael died, I didn’t have it in me to fight anymore…not for myself…not even for you.”

Kahlan swallowed hard, considering his words and trying to find her own. “I’m sorry I made you feel like that,” she softly said, averting her gaze. “I…I never meant to…”

Richard’s face suddenly filled with anger as he forced her to look at him. “Don’t apologize to me, Kahlan,” he heatedly stated. “It was all my fault…not yours. You did absolutely nothing wrong. 

“Everything that happened since Michael’s death was my fault. I hurt you, I pushed you away and I crushed your spirit, Kahlan. I’ll never be able to forgive myself for that, but I can only hope in time that you’ll learn to forgive me.”

“I’m just going to need some time,” she replied, her hand coming to rest against his cheek. “I love you, Richard, but you hurt me deeply. We can’t just pick up where we left off like nothing ever happened. We’re going to have to take it slow, learn to trust each other all over again. You have to let me in, Richard. You can’t push me away every time things get too difficult to deal with.”

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes in order win you back,” he told her, his hand coming to rest against hers on his cheek. “I love you with all my heart. That’s never changed through any of this. You’re the one who got me though it, the reason that I was able to pull myself up out of that dark pit I had fallen in to.”

Kahlan smiled softly at him, bile rising in the back of her throat with what she had to tell him next. “There’s something you should know,” she tentatively said, her hand falling away as she backed away from him.

“What is it?” he asked, a sudden sense of nervousness welling up inside of him.

“Tristan kissed me…a couple of times,” she confessed, her heart constricting with the anger and pain that abruptly flashed through his chestnut brown eyes with her admission. “I stopped him, told him that I needed time to think, decide what I wanted.”

Richard froze with her words, his stomach lurching, twisting. He knew he had no one to blame but himself. Besides, he was hardly innocent. He had his own confession to make. He just prayed that she could forgive him for his own transgressions.

“It’s alright,” he murmured. “I understand. I had let you leave without a word, practically pushing you towards him.”

“Richard, I didn’t want him to kiss him,” she told him, taking his hand and holding it tightly in hers as tears suddenly began trickling down her cheeks all over again. “I was just so hurt…needed you so much after losing the baby and you weren’t there. I felt so lost and alone. I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

Her words were like a fiery arrow directly to his heart, piercing so deeply and burning so painfully. “I’m sorry I made you feel that way, Kahlan,” he said. “I pushed you away…turned your world upside down. I let you leave the People’s Palace without a fight.”

“Richard, I’m so sorry,” she softly cried.

“Do you love him?” he choked out, his eyes growing hard.

“I care about Tristan, but I don’t love him…and not the way that I love you,” she admitted.

Richard felt as if a huge weight had been lifted, his world suddenly so much brighter than it had been in more weeks than he cared to think about. “Kahlan, there’s something I have to tell you too,” he said, his heart beginning to hammer with fear that she would end up hating him after what he was about to tell her.

Kahlan’s stomach dropped as she studied him, noticing the tension that had filled him. Whatever he was about to tell her, it wasn’t going to be good. “What is it?” she whispered, fear constricting her throat. She didn’t think she could handle much more at that moment.

Richard drew a deep breath before proceeding. “After you left, I…I pretty much withdrew from everyone and everything,” he began, trying to find the words that would help her understand how her leaving had devastated him. “I shut everyone out after that and I even got drunk. That was the lowest point for me…when I finally realized that I needed to find a way out of the pit I’d fallen into.”

“Richard, you hardly ever drink,” she murmured, her brow furrowing in stunned disbelief.

“I know, but I couldn’t take the pain inside of me anymore, the emptiness that had consumed me after you had left with the children…with Tristan. Part of me died that day, Kahlan. I thought that I had truly lost you, that I had pushed you away. I had allowed my emotions to gain control over me, my anger with myself for failing everyone consuming me.”

“I’m so sorry, Richard,” she said, kissing him.

Richard could help responding to her kiss even though he felt he didn’t deserve it. Pulling back, he finally forced himself to continue. “I was out in the garden near Michael’s grave trying to drink away the pain of losing you. Nicci came out to try to talk some sense into me, tried to get me to see that I was on the verge of losing everything if I didn’t go to Aydindril. That’s when I…I kissed her.”

“You what?” Kahlan whispered, her insides twisting painfully with her husband’s confession.

“It was a mistake, Kahlan,” he told her, panic rising with the hurt that suddenly swam in her eyes again. “It meant nothing. I was drunk, desperate for something…anything to take the pain away inside even for a moment.”

“Did you sleep with her?” she ground out.

“What? No!” he exclaimed, grabbing her forearms to keep her in front of him for fear that she would try to leave him. “It was just a brief kiss. Nicci pushed me away. After I realized what I had just done, I felt horrible. I wanted to die for betraying you like that.”

“Do you love her?” she demanded to know, her tears returning with a vengeance.

“No, I don’t love her,” Richard nearly shouted. How could she think something like that?

Anger seared through her as she pulled out of his hold on her. “What is it about her that makes you turn to her instead of me?”

“What are you talking about?” Richard asked, confused.

“Nicci told me how you confided in her when the two of you went after Sangria,” she stated. “You felt like you could talk to her about what was going on with you, but you couldn’t talk to me?”

Richard’s heart clenched with her anguish and tears, knowing that he had been the one to cause it. “Kahlan, it’s not like that,” he heatedly insisted. “The only reason I even said anything to Nicci instead of you was because I was still trying to figure everything out in my head. I was afraid you wouldn’t love me anymore if you knew how Michael’s death had truly affected me or that you would feel I was no longer the man you married.”

“Do you really think my love for you is so superficial that I would just turn my back on you because you were struggling?” she yelled, her blue eyes flashing. “I married you, Richard, because I love you. I gave you my heart. You know that’s not something that I take lightly.”

“No, Kahlan, I know how much you love me and that is why I shut you out like I did,” he spat out with equal anger and frustration. “I thought you deserved better than what I thought I was.”

“Don’t I get a chance to decide what I deserve?” she demanded. “We married each other because we love each other, wanted to spend our lives together. That means the good and the bad, through love and heartache. 

“Do you know how hard it was to watch Michael die and not have you to lean on, how heartbreaking it was to lose our…our baby and not have you there to grieve with me or hold me? I left for Aydindril believing you blamed me for losing our baby.”

Kahlan was sobbing uncontrollably now, all of the pent up anger and pain and frustration pouring from her heart and into every single tear that fell. Richard swiftly closed the distance between them, pulling her into his arms. She fought him at first, but soon she found herself holding onto him with every ounce of strength that she possessed.

He lowered her to the ground, holding her close to him and rubbing her back. “I’m so very sorry,” he murmured into her hair. “I know I hurt you and I swear on my life I’ll do whatever it takes to prove to you that you are the only one I love…the only one I have ever loved. I will never again shut you out like that or push you away. You mean everything to me, Kahlan…everything.”

She knew that Richard had found himself in a very dark place after Michael’s death, a place that had threatened to shatter his faith and had turned his life upside down, causing him to lose his way. They had both been through so much and needed each other to heal, to finally move forward together. She just didn’t know how.

“Kahlan, I just hope you can forgive me some day,” he finally said, his voice rough with emotion.

“I just…I just need a little time,” she softly murmured, pulling away from him and getting to her feet as she wiped the tears from her face.

“Kahlan…” he began as he got to his feet as well.

“I need to go check on Ayden,” she interrupted him before swiftly turning and leaving him all alone on the balcony of their suite.

Richard bowed his head in defeat, furious with himself for causing her even more pain and yet he couldn’t hide the truth from her any longer. He wanted to start over with her, for her to know everything, to move on from here and never look back.

Looking up, he found his grandfather standing in the open balcony doorway. “Richard, what is it?” he asked, urgency and worry filling his voice.

“I told Kahlan everything, all of the reasons that I pushed her away…kissing Nicci,” he told him, rubbing his face with his hands.

“You kissed Nicci?” Zedd nearly yelled. “Bags, boy! What has gotten into you lately?”

“I was drunk at the time, Zedd,” Richard snapped. “It was just a stupid kiss. It meant nothing. I was trying to erase the pain I felt from Kahlan leaving with Tristan.”

Zedd studied him for a long moment before finally responding. “I’m afraid that you have your work cut out for you.”

“I just…I don’t know how to fix this,” he sighed heavily, reentering the suite. “I told her how sorry I was, but I don’t know if she believes me.”

“Give her a little time, Richard,” Zedd reassured him. “It’s a lot to process after what you’ve both just been through.”

“I can’t lose her, Zedd,” he softly said.

“You haven’t lost her,” he reminded him. “She’s just been through a very traumatic event, was kidnapped and abused by her captors, and lost the man who had been like a father to her. And all of that was on top of what you’d already been through before including losing the baby.”

“I know, but I just want to fix it all, to take away all of her pain,” Richard growled in utter frustration.

“Only time can truly do that for her, Richard,” Zedd reminded him. “Time and the love and understanding of her husband.”

“What if she decides she doesn’t want me anymore?”

Zedd chuckled softly with the nonsense of his grandson’s fears. “Richard, that won’t happen. Kahlan loves you more than anything,” he replied. “You can help things along, though.”

Richard frowned. “How?”

Zedd sighed heavily. “Oh my dear, Richard,” he said. “Let your grandfather teach you a few things about wooing a woman.”


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

Chapter 39

Morning sunlight steaming in through the sheer curtains of a nearby window finally caused Kahlan to stir despite the sleepiness that tried to hold her in its grasp. Opening her eyes, she sighed heavily, finding herself all alone in her bed. For a brief moment, she had forgotten that her husband was sleeping in the other room, causing her heart to sink.

She closed her eyes in an effort to hold in the tears that threatened to form. She wasn’t going to cry over this anymore. She had allowed herself to cry yesterday after Richard had told her everything, but not any longer. What had happened was in the past. Now, she needed to look forward to the future, not at the past’s mistakes.

She knew that she loved Richard too much to give him up and yet she was going to need some time to come to terms with everything that had happened, to trust him again with her heart. She wanted to more than anything, but she was still hurt by everything that had happened.

Rolling over onto her other side, Kahlan was stunned to find a dozen red roses in a vase on her nightstand table. The corners of her lips automatically curled as she sat up in bed, staring at the beautiful bouquet. Leaning over, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

The fragrant smell filled her senses and put a sweet smile on her face. Leaning against the vase, she found a note with her name on it.

 

Kahlan,  
I love you more than you can begin to imagine and I am determined to spend every day of my life proving it to you no matter what it takes.  
All my love,  
Richard

 

Kahlan’s smile grew wider despite the hesitancies and apprehension that still swarmed in her heart. She laid the card down on the nightstand, overwhelmed by his words as well as the beautiful roses. She found herself wanting to see him and yet she knew that she couldn’t just rush into anything with him just yet.

She wanted to take things slow right now, to know that he wasn’t just going to shut her out again when things got difficult. She wanted him to be the Richard that she had married, the one that she had fallen in love with. She was afraid that they had been through far too much for that to ever happen.

Just then the door to their bedchambers opened, revealing two giggling twin girls who were trying their best to be quiet, but were failing miserably. They were followed in by their father who was carrying a large tray of food, the delicious smell causing her stomach to suddenly rumble in response.

A tentative smile lit his face as their eyes met, nervous apprehension shining in his gaze as he approached with their daughters. Paige and Priya giggled and babbled to each other in their own little language that only a toddler could possibly understand. They ran for Kahlan’s big bed, squealing in delight as Kahlan reached over and picked them up, tossing them into the bed with her.

Richard sat down on the edge of the bed before placing the tray between them. “I thought maybe you’d like breakfast in bed with the girls,” he told her.

“Thank you, Richard,” she replied with a soft smile. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”

Priya quickly climbed across the bed and into Richard’s lap, settling there in complete contentment. “I’ll let you and the girls eat now,” he said, kissing the top of his daughter’s head as he started to extricate himself from his daughter’s hold on him.

“No please…stay,” she abruptly stated, a sense of urgency in her voice that did not go unnoticed by the Seeker.

“Alright,” he responded with a small smile of his own, his eyes filled with relief as he settled back on his side of the bed with Priya in his lap. It felt just like coming home.

“Thank you for the roses,” she told him, casting a glance at him as she gave Paige part of a biscuit. “They’re absolutely beautiful.”

“Not nearly as beautiful as you are, Kahlan,” he softly told her, his intent gaze focused solely on her.

He watched as a faint blush suffused her cheeks, making her look even more radiant if that was even possible. She was wearing a simple midnight blue nightdress, her raven hair cascading down her back and over her bare shoulders. The two thin straps of her gown drew his eyes down to the tops of her partially exposed breasts that he loved to kiss and suckle until she was writhing for more of him.

He found himself aching inside to kiss her, to be with her again, but he knew that he was going to have to take his time and not push her. He needed to earn her trust once more and he would do everything in his power to make that happen.

“Have you heard from the People’s Palace through the Journey book yet?” she asked, handing a plate of food to Richard to share with Priya.

“Yes,” he replied, giving Priya a piece of fruit. “Nicci said that Kao’s army left just before dawn yesterday. Evidently they had orders to retreat if Kao and Ahti were unable to release the plague in time for the blood moon.”

Hurt flicked across Kahlan’s face with the mention of Nicci’s name causing Richard’s heart to clench in his chest. He didn’t want to cause her any more pain, but he refused to keep anything from her ever again. Never again.

Richard instinctively reached out and captured her hand in his, taking her by surprise. She looked up into his eyes that were swimming with so much love that it nearly stole the very breath from her lungs as she lost herself in those chestnut brown depths.

“Kahlan, Nicci has always been and always will be a friend – nothing more,” he firmly stated, his gaze never wavering from her face.

Kahlan nodded slowly, squeezing his hand gently in return before pulling her hand free from his. “I’m sure that Cara has been nearly impossible to handle, knowing that we were here dealing with Kao and she was stuck back at the People’s Palace.”

Richard couldn’t help but chuckle with the thought. “Poor Garren,” he shook his head. “He’s probably had a terrible time trying to contain her and keep her from coming here.”

Kahlan smiled as she took a drink of her juice. “If anyone can handle her, it’s definitely Garren,” she sighed heavily, her expression growing wistful. “I miss them. It feels like it’s been so long since I’ve seen them. Caiden’s going to be so big by the time we return to the People’s Palace.”

“We can stay here for as long as you need to, Kahlan,” he reassured her. “Garren and Holland have everything under control back home. Besides, we’ll have to find someone to take over for Edmund before we can even think about leaving.” 

Kahlan’s eyes immediately grew moist with the mention of Edmund. The ceremony planned for later this morning was going to be beyond difficult to get through. She had no idea how she was going to be able to speak let alone say goodbye to the man who had been like a father to her since she had first arrived at the Confessor’s Palace.

Richard reached over, his hand finding the side of her face, his thumb lightly caressing her cheekbone. “We’ll get through this together,” he promised her. “You’re not alone. I know that I abandoned you before when you needed me the most, but I won’t do that to you ever again, Kahlan. I’m here with you now no matter what happens.”

Kahlan unthinkingly melted into Richard’s touch, her eyes falling closed as she savored the comfort and strength he was lending her in that moment. “Thank you, Richard,” she murmured, disappointed when he pulled his hand away.

“You never have to thank me,” he insisted. “I would give my life for you.”

“Any word from Chase yet about Ahti?” she asked.

Richard released a reluctant breath, hating to tell her, but knowing he needed to. “Ahti escaped,” he told her. “Chase hasn’t been able to find any trace of him, but the entire Aydindril army and First File are all on high alert searching for him right now. They won’t stop until he’s found.”

Kahlan slowly nodded her head in understanding, fear creeping back inside of her. Ahti was still out there and he was still a threat to her family.

Paige suddenly crawled into her mother’s lap, reaching over to take a grape from the tray and interrupting Kahlan’s terrified thoughts. “Is Ayden still asleep?” she asked, averting her eyes under his intense scrutiny.

“Yes, I checked on him before I took the girls down to the kitchen to get breakfast,” he informed her, taking a piece of bacon. “He’s doing much better.”

She sighed heavily with the reminder of how sick her son had been. “I can’t believe how sick he was and I wasn’t even there for him.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” he reminded her. “You were in trouble yourself at the time. It’s not like you could have done anything for him.”

“I know,” she admitted. “It’s just hard knowing now that he was so sick and I wasn’t there to hold him or take care of him.”

Priya suddenly stood up on Richard’s legs, bouncing up and down in excitement. Paige quickly joined in, standing on the bed beside Kahlan and bouncing on her legs only to fall into the pile of pillows causing both girls to burst into giggles.

“Alright you two,” Richard said, reaching over and tickling his daughters. “Let’s get you both dressed and ready for the day.”

“You really don’t have to do that,” Kahlan insisted.

“No…please, I want to,” he maintained. “I’ve missed them so much…missed you.”

“Alright,” she agreed, moving the breakfast tray out of the way.

The twins rolled around in the tangle of sheets and comforter, giggling and trying to hide from their parents. The look of pure love on Richard’s face as he watched them warmed Kahlan clear to her toes. She had desperately missed moments like these with him.

Richard looked at her, chestnut brown meeting sapphire blue in mutual amusement. “Why don’t you rest for a little while longer while I get the girls ready?” he suggested.

“No, I’ll be fine, Richard,” she attempted to reassure him. “Besides, I should get Ayden ready.”

He couldn’t help staring at his daughters, watching them as they talked to one another. “I still can’t believe how much they’ve grown since I last saw them. They’re absolutely beautiful, Kahlan…perfect in every single way.”

“Well, I can’t exactly take all of the credit,” she pointed out, a grin tugging at her lips.

Richard shared her smile. “No, I guess not,” he huskily replied, remembering the night that they had made their twin daughters. “I’m just so thrilled that they look so much like you.”

Kahlan’s face suddenly grew sad as she thoughtfully ran her fingers through Paige’s raven curls. “Do you ever wonder what our baby would have looked like?”

His expression grew solemn as well, his heart tearing in two all over again. “Every day,” he softly admitted, afraid to test his voice further.

Guilty tears instantly pooled in her blue eyes. “Richard, I…I’m so…”

“No…don’t, Kahlan,” he adamantly stated, interrupting her. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You did what you thought was best because you love me so much. I can’t fault you for that. I love you just as deeply and would have done the same for you. The blame lies solely with Sangria. She is the one who stole our precious baby from us.”

A tear abruptly escaped, sliding down Kahlan’s cheek as she swallowed back her heart that had lodged in her throat. Reaching over, Richard tenderly erased the drop, his own eyes shining now with unshed tears.

“Please, don’t cry, my Kahlan,” he softly murmured. “Seeing you so hurt only hurts me more…especially knowing that I’m partly to blame for it.”

“Dada,” Paige jabbered as she crawled into her father’s lap, her little hand patting his chest to get his attention.

“Hi there, baby girl,” he cooed, picking her up and holding her close to him. “Let’s take your sister and get your baths done.”

“Bubbub,” Paige responded, her hand stroking the rough stubble that lined his jaw.

Confused, Richard looked to Kahlan for help in deciphering what his daughter wanted. Kahlan chuckled softly in realization. “She wants bubbles in her bath,” she interpreted for him. “The girls were missing you one night and wouldn’t stop crying so I put bubbles in their bathwater to cheer them up. Now, they refuse to take a bath without them.”

Richard’s throat constricted painfully with the revelation, knowing his girls missed him as much as he had missed them. He leaned in and lovingly kissed Paige’s temple. “I’m so sorry, Princess,” he softly said. “I’ll never be away from any of you like that ever again.”

Paige turned and kissed Richard’s cheek before snuggling against him. It nearly brought Kahlan to tears again as she watched Priya climb over the mound of comforter and sheets in order to get to her father as well. Being separated from each other had been more than difficult for all of them.

Richard quickly enveloped Priya in his arms as well. “Ok, princesses,” he said, clearing his throat of the emotions that had stuck there. “Let’s go take that bubble bath so your mother can get ready too.”

Kahlan watched as Richard took the girls into the other room, her heart suddenly feeling fuller than it had in a very long time. The love that she felt for her family…her husband…overwhelmed her, relief welling inside of her that they were finally together once more.

She suddenly felt that she and Richard were another step closer to mending the brokenness that had nearly devastated them. Maybe things weren’t quite as broken as she had once thought.

XXX

Dressed in the pristine white Mother Confessor’s gown, Kahlan stood before Edmund’s casket. She reached out to run her fingers lightly over the smooth wood, wishing for one more chance to see him again, to talk to him and tell him just how much he had meant to her.

With tears brimming in her eyes, she leaned over and softly pressed her lips to the casket, doing her best to rein in the anguish that consumed her heart at that moment. She couldn’t cry. Not now, not when she needed to put on a brave face for the people of Aydindril.

The people of Aydindril had been through enough recently with Kao’s attack, killing so many people in the Confessor’s Palace. Men and women that she had known for years were now gone, their lives wiped out. It was all just so senseless.

The Palace was still in a state of stunned disbelief, blanketed in an almost suffocating air of barely restrained anguish. It was going to take several months to put the Palace back together again after what Kao and his men had done to it, years to fully recover from the emotional scars that had been inflicted upon them all.

A gentle hand on her back brought her out of her sorrowful reverie. Straightening up, she turned to find herself staring into the warm brown eyes that knew her better than she knew herself. “You can do this, Kahlan,” he softly encouraged her. “I’ll be right here by your side the whole time.”

Kahlan slowly nodded her head, fighting back the tears that burned in her throat. She drew a deep breath, forcing the impassive face of the Mother Confessor to rise to the surface. She needed to be strong for her people. She knew it was what Edmund would have wanted.

Richard leaned in and lovingly pressed his lips to her forehead. “Come,” he gently said.

Taking her hand in his, he led her to where the others were patiently waiting for them. Zedd and Frederick each held one of the twins in their arms, Paige and Priya both dressed in little white dresses trimmed in lace, their hair in small pigtails.

Tristan stood next to them, holding Rachel’s hand. It was surreal to see the love that had unexpectedly developed between the two and yet Kahlan couldn’t have been happier for them. It warmed her heart to know that Tristan had finally found the love that he had been looking for.

Chase stood beside them, Ayden asleep in his arms. It was almost startling to see her son looking so small in the protective hold of the boundary warden’s large muscular arms. Despite Chase’s enormous size, she knew there was a very tender heart that resided inside of him, one that cherished family and friends above all else. She was beyond grateful that he had come when he had. 

“Are you ready, my dear?” Zedd gently asked her.

“Yes,” she firmly replied, her chin held high.

Kahlan led them as they made their way to the balcony of the Confessor’s Palace. She stepped out into the morning sunlight, stopping at the ledge of the balcony. Her gaze swept over the massive crowd that had gathered to pay their respects to the fallen man who had helped lead Aydindril.

Many of them had their heads already bowed, the soft sounds of crying filling her ears. Aggie stood in the front of the large crowd that had gathered, many familiar faces of the Palace staff surrounding her and sharing in her grief.

“We gather today under extraordinarily sad circumstances,” Kahlan solemnly began. “Kao C’Id attacked our city, our people – friends and loved ones. Edmund Finch stood up under that very attack, showing great courage and bravery and for that he will always be remembered.”

Kahlan paused, drawing a shuddering breath as the unwanted tears suddenly surfaced with a vengeance once more. They should be celebrating a victory, not mourning Edmund’s death. It was too much to bear after being forced to suffer so much heartache already.

A sudden familiar hand found hers, fingers slipping around hers and providing the strength that she needed to go on in that moment. She tightened her hold on Richard as if he was her salvation, casting a sidelong glance at the handsome face full of such love and strength.

Spirits, she had missed this man so very much.

“Edmund had dedicated his life to the betterment of Aydindril, the Midlands and then the D’Haran Empire. His selflessness and fierce commitment will never be forgotten,” she concluded.

The crowd showed their unanimous agreement by erupting into applause. Kahlan allowed them to continue for a few moments before finally raising a single hand. “We will now observe a moment of silence in his honor,” she announced as the crowd grew silent save for the occasional sniffling.

Richard released Kahlan’s hand, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they all bowed their heads. A single tear slipped down Kahlan’s cheek as she finally raised her head, holding her chin high because that’s what Edmund would have expected of her and she would not disappoint him.

“Thank you,” she said. “Edmund’s casket will pass through the streets of Aydindril before being placed outside of the Confessor’s Palace for all to pay their respects until dawn. Then, tomorrow he’ll be laid to rest in a special place of honor.”

Kahlan swiftly turned away from the crowd as her tears began to break free, her shoulders shaking with the weight of her grief as she retreated from the balcony. Catching up to her, Richard immediately stopped her, pulling her into his arms and holding her as she broke down.

She covered her face with her hands as she buried herself inside the warm reassuring embrace of her husband. Richard silently nodded to Zedd and the others to go ahead to the memorial dinner without them, knowing that Kahlan just needed a few minutes right now.

Richard just stood there holding her, letting her cry as he rubbed her back. He didn’t say a single word, didn’t try to tell her that everything was going to be alright or that things would be better in time. He just let her lean on him, allowing her to release all of the hurts in her heart.

After several long moments, Kahlan finally pulled back, ashamed for having lost her hold on her emotions like that when she was supposed to be completely in control. “I’m sorry,” she whispered in embarrassment, averting her eyes as she wiped the tears from her face.

“It’s alright, Kahlan,” he murmured, taking her face wet with tears into his hands as he gazed into her eyes.

Without a second thought, he kissed her forehead, her nose, each eyelid, desperate to take away her pain and mend all the broken pieces of her heart. His lips brushed against hers, tentative and comforting and wanting more.

Kahlan swiftly responded to his kiss as her arms slid around him, pulling him closer to her. Passion quickly took over as they both lost themselves to the heat of that kiss, both longing for so much more, but knowing now was definitely not the time.

Richard suddenly broke the kiss despite his desperation for more, pulling back as he fought to catch his breath. “I’m sorry, Kahlan,” he told her. “I shouldn’t have done that, not when you’re this upset. I won’t take advantage of you when you’re this emotional.”

“Richard, it’s alright,” she reassured him. “You didn’t take advantage of me. I…I wanted you to kiss me.”

“Really?” he questioned her, hope taking root in his heart.

“I want you to sleep in our bed tonight where you belong,” she told him.

The tentativeness in her blue eyes told him she was feeling as lost as he was in all of this. They would find their way through this chaos and back to one another together. “Only if you’re sure, Kahlan,” he replied. “I don’t want to rush you into something you’re not ready for.”

A soft smile graced her face. “You’re not,” she insisted with a shake of her head, her raven curls bouncing slightly with the movement as she offered him her hand. “I want you there with me, Richard.”

He smiled in response, his heart soaring with her words as he took her hand. Making their way together to the dining hall and the waiting friends, family, and dignitaries that had gathered in honor of Edmund, Richard felt like their future was finally beginning to look brighter than ever before.


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to my fic Eye for an Eye, Kahlan is on her way to Aydindril with Tristan to stop a possible revolt. Will Richard come to his senses before he loses everything that he loves?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all of you who have been following me along with this fic. I'm sad to see this one end, but I will come back to do a sequel so stay tuned!

Chapter 40

Entering the private dining hall at the People’s Palace, Sister Nicci found the others already there ready to eat. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as her heart suddenly grew warm at the sight of these people who had become her friends…her only family.

Brought together by adversity in a common goal to stand in the face of evil and persevere for what was right, they were bonded by something other than blood or mere circumstances. Their bond had been forged by disasters and hardships and sealed by belief in the greater good of humanity.

“Nicci,” Cara greeted her as the sorceress approached. “You’re just in time. You had better fill your plate quick before Garren and Holland eat all of it.”

“Are you saying that we’re pigs?” Holland demanded to know, his voice full of mock indignation as he passed the bowl of potatoes to Garren sitting across the table from him.

“We’re not pigs,” Garren maintained. “We just have healthy appetites. Besides, it’s definitely time for a celebration after everything that’s happened, don’t you think?”

“It most certainly is,” Nicci readily agreed with a smile as she settled down in her seat beside Commander Tom Holland.

“Have you heard any more from Richard through the journey book?” Cara asked, glancing down at Caiden asleep in her arms.

“He sent a message just before I came here,” Nicci informed them as she took a piece of meat and put it on her plate. “Edmund’s memorial service was this morning.”

Cara grew sad with the thought of Edmund, wishing she could have been there for the service. She had truly liked him, enjoyed his company when she’d been healing from the attack on her by Brey. “How is Kahlan handling it?”

Nicci sighed before answering, her heart heavy for what Kahlan was going through. “He said that she’s having a very difficult time with it,” she admitted. 

“He was like a father to her when she didn’t have one,” Cara absentmindedly remarked, her thoughts in Aydindril with her friends at that moment. “She’s been through so much heartache without losing Edmund. I don’t know how much more she can possibly take.”

“I’m sure it’ll help that Lord Rahl is there now,” Holland commented between bites.

“They have a lot of heartache between them that needs to be mended,” Cara stated, hoping that Richard would be able to repair things between him and Kahlan. “I hope they can work things out together.”

“I’m sure they will,” Nicci reassured her. “They love each other deeply. Not even everything they’ve been through could destroy that.”

“I’m just glad that Richard got his head on straight when he did,” Garren replied. “I shudder to think what could have happened had he arrived in Aydindril any later than he did.”

“Well, now that the prophecy has been averted, hopefully things can get back to normal again,” Holland stated.

Cara snorted in disbelief. “When has anything around here been normal?”

“I guess you’re right,” Holland admitted.

“I’m just worried about what’s going to happen next,” Cara huffed. “I won’t be happy until Richard and Kahlan and the others are safely back here at the People’s Palace.”

Nicci knew and understood the Mord’Sith’s fears, shared her concerns for their safety. “I’m afraid it’s going to be some time before they are able to return.”

Cara looked up sharply, unhappy with the news. “Why?” she questioned her. “What did Richard say?”

“It’s going to take them some time to find a replacement for Edmund,” she informed them. “Aydindril has been rocked by Kao C’Id’s assault. It will take them time to put everything back in order.”

“I don’t like this,” Cara groused, scowling with the thought.

“There’s not much that we can do about it,” Garren pointed out. “They’re needed in Aydindril right now and we’re needed here to look after the People’s Palace.”

“I’m afraid there’s a little more that I haven’t told you all yet,” Nicci admitted. Everyone paused eating to look at her. “The wizard that Kao had with him has disappeared. They can’t find him anywhere.”

“So there’s crazy wizard still on the loose in Aydindril?” Cara ground out. “That’s just great.”

“Richard has the book in his possession that the wizard was after,” Nicci tried to calm Cara.

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?” Cara nearly yelled. “How do we know that the wizard won’t come after Richard to get the book he wants? How do we know that he won’t try to attack them himself?”

“We don’t think he will,” Nicci shook her head. “It’s too late to release the plague that they were attempting to unleash. The blood moon has passed and won’t be back again in our lifetime.”

“Do we even know what kind of a plague it was?” Holland asked.

Nicci pursed her lips together in thought, unnerved by what Richard had told her. “It was a plague that would have unleashed a cataclysmic apocalypse on the land.”

“Like what?” Garren frowned as he reached for a second helping of lamb.

“Supernatural disasters that would create deep fissures in the earth, the kind of fractures that would make the rifts created by the Keeper look like a splinter,” Nicci explained. “It would unleash tsunamis and violent tornadoes, horrifying destruction the likes of which we’ve never seen before. There would be many lives lost.”

“What would be the purpose in that?” Cara scowled.

“If there’s that much destruction, there would be no crops or animals,” Garren surmised. “No crops means no food. There would be poverty and suffering everywhere. They would end up blaming Richard and Kahlan for not saving them.”

“And everyone would be looking for someone new to rule,” Holland finished his friend’s thoughts.

“Exactly,” Nicci replied with a nod of her head. “People would be weakened, families devastated.”

“They would be ripe for the picking,” Cara murmured, shuddering inside at the thought.

“It would be very easy to sweep through the land and take over the Empire, making everyone into slaves or whatever vile plans Kao C’Id had in that depraved mind of his,” Garren stated, his anger brewing just beneath the surface.

Everyone grew very quiet with the thought of such horrors being unleashed upon the world. “Thank the spirits that Lord Rahl was able to put a stop to it,” Holland finally broke the silence.

“No matter what happens, we will always be there to stand behind Richard and Kahlan,” Garren promised. “They will never be alone in the fight to keep everyone safe, to ensure peace.”

They all nodded in silent agreement, Cara glancing at her beautiful son in her arms. How long would it be before they would get to see their friends again? Weeks? Months? A year?

Her heart suddenly felt very heavy with the thought of being separated from them for so long. She just hoped that they would be able to return home soon.

XXX

Kahlan stood in her bedchamber, watching the orange flames as they danced and burned in the fireplace, aware of it and yet not really seeing it. Her arms were folded against her chest, lost in her thoughts and the apprehension that had gripped her heart.

It had been a very long day with Edmund’s memorial service and dinner, talking endlessly with ambassadors and representatives from all over who had been able to come to pay their respects for the fallen man. She knew without a doubt that she couldn’t have gotten through it without Richard.

He had been her strength, staying close by her side throughout every single moment of it, holding her hand or making sure that she felt his nearness by keeping a hand on the small of her back. It had meant more to her than he could possibly begin to understand.

She found her heart swelling with more love than she thought possible for him. She found herself anxious for him to come to their bedchamber and at the same time tense. She couldn’t believe that she was actually feeling nervous. This was her husband, her Richard, the father of her children and yet she felt like a school girl with her first love.

She knew it was silly, but she couldn’t help it. Despite the hurt that she was still struggling with, she couldn’t deny her love for him even if she tried. He meant everything to her, lit a fire in her heart that burned so hot and so bright that it could never be smothered or extinguished.

Kahlan was beginning to wonder if she had done the right thing by asking him to sleep with her in their bed again. She knew that she wanted him, ached inside for his touch…his love. She needed to be skin to skin and heart to heart with him again, to be one once more with him.

She had felt so empty and lonely for so very long now, even before she’d left for Aydindril with Tristan. She was anxious to feel that intimate connection with her husband all over again, to know his love for her.

But was she really ready for it after all they had been through? Was she ready to move on and let go of all the heartache that had consumed her for far too long?

“The girls are finally asleep.”

The sweet sound of Richard’s voice startled her from her conflicted thoughts, causing her heart to stutter in response. Spirits, what this man did to her – his voice, his intense gaze, his touch…his unconditional love.

“Good,” Kahlan softly replied, not turning around to face him just yet. “They’ve had a long day.”

She could feel him slowly closing the distance between them, his heated gaze on her from behind. It caused a nervous flutter of arousal to erupt in the pit of her stomach. She suddenly found it a little harder to breathe as she nervously played with the laces of her Confessor’s dresses.

Richard carefully studied her as he slowly approached her, trying to judge her thoughts, how she was feeling. He was beyond relieved that she had invited him to sleep in her bed tonight. He had missed her so much since she had left for Aydindril, so much so that at times he thought for certain he would go mad.

He couldn’t deny the overwhelming need inside that burned only for her, the desire that was beginning to thrum through his veins at that very moment. He had wanted her for so long, hungered for her touch, the taste of her kisses, the feel of her soft feminine frame pressed against him.

His breathing grew a little more shallow as his heated thoughts began to take over, his body reacting to her even though he had yet to even touch her. Her raven hair seemed to shine in the candlelight, the flickering flames of the fire. Her white Confessor’s dress embraced her perfection, accentuating her feminine curves and driving his desire even higher, hotter. He just prayed that she was truly ready for this…for him…because he greatly feared if he started kissing her, he’d never be able to stop himself.

“Kahlan?” he softly tentatively said as he came to a stop behind her, shoving his hands into his pants pockets to keep himself from touching her like he was dying inside to do. He had to know she wanted him as much as he wanted her. “Are you alright?”

Kahlan drew a slow deep breath before responding, attempting to calm her nerves. “I’m fine,” she attempted to reassure him, her attention still on the fire before her.

Richard’s shoulders sagged slightly with her response. This wasn’t exactly going like he had planned all day for it to go. He should have waited, given her more time. He should leave her alone now and return to the room he’d been staying in since arriving in Aydindril several days ago.

She’d suffered so much, one tragedy after another befalling them…her. They had lost Michael, their own baby, and now Edmund as well as several of the Palace staff that she had known since coming to Aydindril to train as a Confessor. Her world had been turned upside down, her home vandalized and her body beaten and violated.

After what Kao and Theon had done to her, how could she possibly be ready to be with him or even want him to touch her?

Richard released a ragged breath, raking his fingers back through his hair as his eyes fell closed. This wasn’t the time. She wasn’t ready, not yet. Hopefully in time, Kahlan would be able to forgive him for what he had done, would be able to come to terms with all that had transpired over the last several weeks.

He had suffered too…but she had suffered more.

“I’m sorry, Kahlan,” he softly said, his hand reaching out to lightly touch her shoulder, feeling her tremble slightly from his touch.

Kahlan bit her bottom lip, forcing back the tears that seemed to refuse to end. “Richard…” she began.

“I’m going to sleep in the other room,” he interrupted her; almost afraid of what she was going to say. He couldn’t bear to hear her tell him to leave, feeling it was easier to say it himself. “You’ve had a very long, difficult day. You need to sleep now. Come get me if you need anything.”

Kahlan felt her heart instantly tighten in her chest, suddenly wondering if he didn’t want her anymore. Did he not want to be with her? Did he feel obligated to stay with her…feel guilty for hurting her?

She wanted him to stay with her, to make love with her because he loved her, not out of pity or guilt. She wanted her husband, all of him – heart, body, and soul, but only if he was ready, only if he truly wanted her too.

“Thank you, Richard…for everything,” she softly said, keeping her back to him. “I couldn’t have gotten through today without you.”

Richard stared at her back, his heart hurting so deeply for her. “You never have to thank me, Kahlan,” he replied. “I would do anything for you…even give up my life for you.”

“I know,” she replied, her voice choked with so much emotion. “I think that’s why it broke my heart so much. You were the one person in this world that I thought would never hurt me.”

Her tone was far from accusing or angry. He would have preferred it if it had been. Instead, it was full of such utter sadness…brokenness, like she had come to learn some horrible truth that she hadn’t realized could even exist.

His throat instantly tightened painfully with overwhelming sorrow and guilt. He lowered his head, knowing that he had deserved that. She had trusted him with her heart and he had destroyed it. How was he ever going to win her trust again?

“I’m sorry, Richard,” Kahlan sighed, finally turning to look at him.

“No, Kahlan,” he shook his head, lifting his eyes to meet hers. They were so bright with tears…tears that he put there. It was like a dagger to his chest. “It’s alright. You’ve been through far more than your fair share of heartache…anguish that I’ve helped cause, but I swear to you on my life that I’m going to do everything in my power to make it up to you, to try to erase your pain.”

Taking her hand in his, Richard squeezed it gently, bringing it to his lips and kissing her knuckles. “Sleep well,” he murmured before releasing it and leaving her all alone once more.

XXX

Richard lay in his bed staring at the ceiling, watching night’s shadows cast by the moon’s light from a nearby window dance across it. He couldn’t sleep, not with Kahlan’s words repeatedly echoing through his mind.

_“You were the one person in this world that I thought would never hurt me…”_

The repeating words pierced his heart over and over again. Each word, each syllable, each letter was like a blade slicing painfully through his chest. He could have handled her screaming at him, even hitting him, but not this…this quiet sorrow that was devouring both of them whole. Her disappointment in him, knowing he had let her down…failed her…was killing him inside.

Everything inside of him wanted to go to her now, to hold her and love her and never let go of her, but she needed time…time without him and it was driving him insane.

But he knew that he had no one to blame but himself and now he was going to have to deal with the consequences of his actions.

He didn’t realize the door to his bedroom had even opened until she was almost to his bed. “Kahlan?” he said, immediately sitting up in bed. “What is it? Are you alright?”

Before Richard get out of bed, Kahlan was suddenly there hovering over him, straddling him, her hands cradling his face firmly in her hands. “I can’t do this anymore…can’t go another night without you,” she softly said, tears trickling slowly down her face. “I love you Richard Rahl…I forgive you and I love you…more than anything in this world. I love you…so much.”

“Kahlan…” 

He somehow managed to utter her name despite the sudden overwhelming flood of emotions washing through him like a mighty torrent. His hands moved to her waist, keeping her where she was as he crushed his mouth to hers with a sweet desperation that could be denied no longer. He kissed her with a hunger that no longer had to be contained, his hands roaming frantically over her silk clad body, desperate to feel her skin against his.

As if reading his mind, Kahlan suddenly broke the kiss long enough to lift her arms over her head, allowing him to remove her nightdress, both breathing heavily and craving so much more. Richard lifted the nightgown from her body, his heart hammering wildly in anticipation of making love to her again. It had been far too long, the separation far too painful.

Kahlan’s head flew back, a sharp gasp escaping as Richard’s mouth latched onto her breast, creating a delicious tortuous assault. He couldn’t hold back the moan that had caught in his throat as she threaded her fingers through his hair, tugging on it as she ground her hips against his.

He teased her breast until she was continually panting his name, switching to the other and giving it the same focused attention. His hands roamed over the smooth skin of her back, startled at how thin she had gotten since he’d last been with her. She felt so frail in his arms…so small, causing him to suddenly fear that he might break her. 

“Richard…please,” she gasped, pressing herself more fully against him in desperate need of more from her husband. “I need you…now.”

Richard suddenly shifted, rolling and pinning Kahlan to the mattress as his heart and body took full control. He did his best to slow down, to make her feel just how much he loved her with every single kiss, every heated caress, but it was damn near impossible to restrain himself now.

There was a frantic desperation to his kisses, heated and bruising as he began to devour her like a starving man that had been lost in a desert for far too long. He feasted on her breasts again until she was squirming, about to go mad with a fierce need for a release.

His hand caressed every inch of her body that he could possibly touch before finally finding her hot wet center. She cried out as he slowly began stroking her, his mouth claiming hers all over again in a passionate kiss that sent fire searing straight through to her very core.

She arched her back only to grind her hips against his hand that was creating unbelievable pleasure to thrum through her entire body. “Rich-ard,” she cried out, her fingernails raking like fire across his back and driving him even further.

She suddenly came with a cry, her magic rolling through him like a violent burst of thunder. He feathered her face with soft kisses as she began to come down from her release, only allowing her a brief reprieve before shifting his hips and thrusting hard, fully sheathing himself deep inside of her.

Kahlan cried out again, her fingers clutching at the sheets in sweet ecstasy as she arched her neck, fighting to catch her breath again. “Richard,” she breathed heavily, twisting the sheets in her fists as her body bowed.

Richard pressed his head against Kahlan’s shoulder, fighting desperately to hang on to the last thread of control that he had left, but it was next to impossible. She felt so damn amazing surrounding him, so hot and tight. It was like coming home all over again and he never wanted to leave.

Kahlan turned her head, her mouth finding his throat, kissing and nipping before suddenly moving him over onto his back and taking control. She set a slow steady rhythm, the palms of her hands resting on his chest as she stared down intently at him.

She was completely mesmerizing to behold as she moved so erotically over him like a breathtaking spirit. The look of pure rapture gracing her face nearly brought him to tears. She was just so unbelievably beautiful. It was almost painful to behold.

Richard’s hands slipped up into her raven hair, his chest heaving as his hand settled on the back of her neck. He pulled her down into a heated kiss, tongues dancing as he continued to slide in and out of her with a rapidly increasing cadence.

He suddenly sat up, clutching her to him and rolling her over and under him without breaking the rhythm. “I love you…Kahlan…” he panted as he began to kiss along her throat and collarbone, his teeth raking over her skin and setting her entire body on fire all over again. “I love you…I love you…”

He kept repeating his love for her, emphasizing it with every deep penetrating thrust that took him deeper and deeper inside of her. She slipped her arms up under his to grip his shoulders, hanging on for dear life as he began to pound into her with wild abandon.

His name became a gasping chat that turned into a sharp cry as he lifted her leg higher, pressing her knee towards her chest and allowing him to sink even further inside of her, hitting that spot deep inside that drove her crazy.

Kahlan nearly blacked out from the sensory overload as she writhed beneath him, gasping for the air that he was driving from her lungs with every punishing stroke as he pistoned in and out of her. She suddenly came with an cry of his name, trembling violently from the full force of her intense release.

The feel of her inner walls clamping down around him drove him over the edge as well, releasing himself deep inside of her as he collapsed on top of her. They clung to one another, sweat-slick and trembling, hot panting breaths mingling as they struggled to regain control once more.

Richard turned his head, kissing her almost roughly as he fought the urge to take her again before she was fully ready. Kahlan could feel him inside of her still hard and hot and wanting even more. Her lips curled, finding herself even more in love with this man than she had ever believed possible.

Wrapping her legs tightly around his waist, she pushed him onto his back, her mouth attacking his with a fierce vengeance as she began to move her hips again. She kissed him possessively as her fingernails raked over his nipples causing him to arch beneath her.

She greedily began kissing along his throat to his muscular chest, her teeth nipping at his skin, soothing the sting with her tongue and lips. She latched onto his nipple, sucking hard and lightly biting at his flesh.

“Kahlan!” he gasped sharply, his fingers tangled in her hair and keeping her where he wanted her. His fingers massaged her scalp as she made love to him, more than amazed by how this night had turned out.

He could scarcely believe she was here making love with him. He’d been beside himself with near panic that he had lost her only to be forgiven and finding incredible ecstasy once more in his wife’s arms.

He groaned as she suddenly shifted off of him, leaving him more than a little frustrated and in desperate need of help. “Kahlan…please,” he growled deeply, tightly fisting the sheets beneath him, his heavily hooded eyes searching for her in the dimly lit room.

Panting heavily, he lifted his head off the pillow to look for her only to whip his head back and buck his hips as Kahlan took him into her mouth. He clenched his jaw as he struggled not to come right then and there with the erotic nature of what she was doing to him.

“Kah-lan,” he managed to choke out with a shuddering gasp. “Spirits! Don’t stop…never…never stop.”

Kahlan’s lips curled around him as she made love to him, pleased that she was able to bring him so much pleasure. He meant absolutely everything to her and she wanted him to know that…to never forget her love for him.

Before Kahlan could bring him to completion, Richard suddenly sat up, pulling her up into his lap and kissing her hard. He could taste the both of them mingled on her tongue, causing him to grow painfully harder as Kahlan welcomed him deep inside of her once more.

She began moving her hips as they continued to kiss. Retreating for much needed air, she pressed her forehead to his as she kept a steady rhythm going. Richard ran his hands up and down her back covered in a thin sheen of sweat, savoring every single intimate moment with.

The room was filled with the sounds and scent of their passionate love making as each held nothing back from the other; their hearts lay bare before one another. Kahlan’s head fell back as she began to move more quickly, her mouth hanging open with the passion tearing through her.

Richard’s hands gripped her waist, supporting her and keeping her sitting upright with him. “Come for me, Kahlan,” he demanded, one hand sneaking up to find her breast and squeezing her firmly. “Show me what I do to you…how I make you feel.”

“Richard!”

Kahlan suddenly came with a scream of his name, sagging bonelessly against her husband, burying her face in the crook of his neck as she clung to him. Her breath was like hot blasts across his skin as he gripped her hips, pumping into her several times before coming as well, her name being torn from deep in his chest.

Richard fell back in the bed in exhaustion, pulling her back with him. He swiftly rolled to his side so they were facing each other, bodies still joined and tangled together as one. He leaned in and kissed her lips slowly, savoring the euphoria and the feel of his wife finally in his arms again where she belonged.

He gently stroked her damp hair, hooking it behind her ear as he nuzzled his nose against hers. Opening his eyes, he quickly lost himself in the sapphire depths gazing back at him, clouded with such pleasure. “I love you, Kahlan,” he whispered, soft pledges in the form of sweet kisses across her face. “I love you more than life itself.”

“I love you too,” she murmured, caressing his cheek. “I missed you so much I could hardly breathe sometimes.”

“We don’t have to be apart anymore,” he reassured her as he stroked her hair. “You’re not going anywhere without me ever again. I won’t let you.”

A soft smile graced her swollen lips. “I don’t want to leave you. I didn’t want to leave you before, Richard, but I had to leave.”

She kissed him again, slow and sensual, sealing their promise. “You keep kissing me like that and we may never leave this bed,” Richard breathed heavily, loving the feel of her limbs tangled with his.

“I’m sure someone will eventually come looking for us,” she replied, trying to stifle a yawn, but failing miserably.

Richard pressed his lips to her forehead. “Sleep, Kahlan,” he encouraged her. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“You better be, Richard Cypher,” she sleepily threatened, using the name that he’d been born with, reminding him of all the times that she’d playfully threatened him in the past with his full name. “I’ll hunt you down to the farthest reaches of the world if I have to. You belong to me and no one else.”

He grinned at her as her eyelids grew too heavy to keep open any longer, her voice laced with utter exhaustion. He gently adjusted their position, pulling her over to lie against him and allowing her to use his chest as a pillow. He heard her groan sleepily as he finally slipped free from her body, her brow furrowing in disappointment.

She always loved that intimate connection the most, the feel of him filling her so full. She always tried to keep him inside of her for as long as possible after they made love, hating how empty she felt afterwards when he had to leave her body.

He chuckled softly with her reaction as he tightened his hold on her, kissing the top of her head. “Don’t worry, my love,” he murmured. “I’ll be right here to love you all over again in the morning…I promise. I will always be here for you.”

 

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


End file.
